Community Diversion Program

The Bay Village Community Diversion Program (CDP) is granted jurisdiction by Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court to deal with juveniles charged with first-time misdemeanor crimes and status offenses (such as Unruly Behavior and Truancy). This program allows a juvenile to avoid formal court action and instead, utilizes community resources to address problems brought to the attention of the court. Typical community resources utilized by the Magistrates include community service hours, referral to counseling services, participation in prevention programs, drug and alcohol testing and curfews. 

Magistrate Hearings

Those families, who select to have their child’s case handled through CDP, will be required to attend an informal Magistrate hearing. Magistrate hearings are held twice a month at the Bay Village Police Department. Magistrates are attorneys approved by Juvenile Court to hear and determine dispositions of the cases before them. 

During these hearings, the complaint is read and the child will be asked to "admit" or "deny" the allegations in the complaint. If the plea is "admit", the Magistrate will inquire about the facts and circumstances regarding the incident and a disposition will be imposed upon the child as a condition of participation in the CDP.

Admissions

If the child admits to the allegations, such an admission will not result in the creation of a formal record in Juvenile Court, rather an informal CDP record will be retained for a period of one year. If there is no further misconduct, the CDP file will be destroyed at the end of one year. If there are objections to the disposition given by the Magistrate or the plea is "deny", the matter will be referred to Juvenile Court for formal court action.

Formal Court

If a family requests formal court action then the matter will be forwarded to Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. Once a complaint is filed with Juvenile Court, the court will notify the family of when and where the child is to appear.

Entering the Program

Once a juvenile enters the Bay Village Diversion Program and thereafter violates the conditions of his/her participation in the CDP, the original compliant may then be sent to Juvenile Court, along with any new delinquency charges.

By allowing the juvenile and his or her family to participate in the CDP, they are able to access corrective measures without the stigma of formal court action. The Bay Village Police believe this "second chance" provides a tremendous benefit to the community.

Helpful Resources

For additional information or inquiries into the CDP, please email Detective Jameison Pochatek or call at 440-899-3465. For additional information regarding the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court contact the Court at 216-443-8400.