Frequently Asked Questions

Parole is assigned to individuals leaving a Federal or State Penitentiary (Prison or Department of Corrections.) Probation is court-supervised freedom, if a juvenile abides by certain predetermined conditions established in a court hearing.

Tickets and fees can be paid through the Lake County Circuit Clerk of the Court, which has an office in the Depke Juvenile Court Complex. You can reach the Clerk’s office at 847-377-7888 for more information. For more information, please visit the

There is ample off-street parking in a spacious, well-lighted, paved parking lot in front of the Juvenile Court Complex. However, do not park in employee or reserved parking spaces, as violators will be towed away at owner’s expense.

If you are referred to the Juvenile Public Defender’s Office, you may contact them at 847-377-7900 in the Depke Juvenile Justice Complex. For more information, please visit the

You can contact the Juvenile States Attorney’s Office at 847-377-7850 in the Depke Juvenile Justice Complex.

The Detention Center telephone is answered 24/7. The number is 847-377-7800.

The offices are located in the Depke Juvenile Justice Complex at 24647 North Milwaukee Avenue, Vernon Hills, IL 60061.

Hulse Juvenile Detention Center is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The Juvenile Probation office is open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., or by appointment.

Runaway and Truancy are considered status offenses. For children that are runaways, parents should contact the local police department and have the minor listed as a runaway or missing person so that if police come into contact with the minor, they can pick him/her up and bring them home. Juveniles cannot be referred to Juvenile Court exclusively for runaway.

If the minor is truant from school, parents should contact their local school district for assistance. Lake County Regional Office of Education Attendance and Truancy Division, a local program that addresses chronic truancy, can be reached at 847-223-3400. The school district may make a referral to Juvenile Court if a minor is considered a chronic truant.

You will have to attend the court hearing on the scheduled date. Your son/daughter will need an attorney to represent him/her. If you cannot afford to hire a private attorney, you will have to fill out a financial affidavit at the court hearing. The Presiding Judge will inform you at that hearing whether you will have to hire a private attorney or if the Public Defender will be appointed to represent your child. You may still be obligated to pay all or part of the fees for the Public Defender.

A preliminary conference is held with the minor and his or her family in order to determine if diversion from the juvenile court process would be appropriate. You would meet with an Intake Officer for approximately one hour. Questions are asked concerning the minor and his/her family’s home situation, school, peers and drug and alcohol usage. After gathering the appropriate information, the Intake Officer may recommend a Probation Adjustment and may make referrals to agencies such as Family and Individual Counseling, Drug and Alcohol Counseling and Advocacy. If a Probation Adjustment is not appropriate the Intake Officer will recommend that a delinquent petition be filed in Juvenile Court.

According to juvenile law, nothing said in a preliminary conference will be used against your child in court, therefore, an attorney is not required for the Preliminary Conference. However, if a family prefers to obtain an attorney, they may bring one to the conference.

In order to have records expunged a petition with this request should be filed with the court. This is a legal matter and it is recommended that an attorney be consulted if you wish to pursue this.

The cost of your child becoming involved in the court system depends on each individual case. The Judge determines what the family will be financially responsible for. A parent may be responsible for attorney fees, probation fees, court costs, restitution, detention fees and other services, which may be ordered for your child or the family.

Court Services does not provide families with copies of the police reports. Parents should consult an attorney for information contained in the police report.

Parents do not determine whether a juvenile should be detained in the Detention Center. Only Juvenile Court Judges and specified Intake Officers can determine this. A juvenile can only be considered for admission to the Detention Center if he/she has been charged with a delinquent (criminal) offense.

On an average, a child stays in the Detention center for 15 days, However, each case is different and only the Juvenile Court Judge can determine when a juvenile is to be released.

Due to juvenile confidentiality laws and security concerns, tours are not given to the general public.

Once a Judge determines that a minor will remain in the detention center, he/she will immediately attend school. Court Services has certified teachers that work in the Detention Center, therefore, juveniles do not leave the detention center for school. The school program is 5 days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and runs throughout the whole year.

No, Court Services provides the minors with everything that he/she will need including clothing, shoes, sanitary, and hygiene items. The minor will also not need any money. Juveniles in the Detention Center have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and nutritious snacks throughout the day.

Due to confidentiality laws you would not be allowed to do this. Furthermore, research has shown that scare tactics do not result in long term benefits.

We can not recommend specific attorneys, however, you would want to obtain an attorney that is familiar with juvenile law. Court Services provides the number to the Lake County Bar Association who could help you further in obtaining the services of an attorney. Lake County Bar Association can be reached by phone at 847-244-3143 or fax at 847-244-8259.