SIDNEY — The Juvenile Court comprises one-half of the Shelby County Probate & Juvenile Court’s responsibilities and commitments.

The Juvenile Court handles delinquencies, traffic, unruly, paternity, truancy and abuse, neglect and dependency cases. It also handles custody of children of unwed parents, visitation and child support.

Judge Jeffrey J. Beigel, Shelby County Probate & Juvenile Court, has submitted the following report:

In 2022 the court was busy handling over 1,138 matters consisting of: 16% delinquencies, 19% traffic, 9% abuse, neglect and dependency, 7% unruly, 2% permanent custody, 47% custody, visitation & child support, 2% parentage, and 1% other matters.

Magistrate Steven Geise now serves as a full-time magistrate to assist the court in meeting the demands of a busy caseload. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School. He was a private attorney in Shelby County for over 20 years and, as a prior part-time juvenile magistrate, has ably handled the matters that come before him. His full-time commitment is a welcome addition to the Court and staff.

The court generated $123,414.79 in collected revenue to the general fund, a 1.5% decrease compared to 2021.

Probation handled cases referred to its diversion program for qualifying first-time offenders. Overall, the number of eligible diversion cases remained at 51% attributable to the success of the program and its ability to identify and meet this need.

Kory Yohey now serves as assistant chief probation officer. Sidney Secor is our newest probation officer and the Community Service Program coordinator.

The court continued its successful Community Service Program with opportunities for meaningful projects at a youth’s school, village, township, city, and other non-profit organizations.

The Juvenile Traffic Court had an 8% increase in cases. The diversion/education program for minor traffic violations saw a low recidivism rate of 3%.

CASA continues to play an integral role in abuse, neglect and dependency cases and Victim Services continues to provide essential services for victims in delinquency cases.

Probation remained active with various programs and partnerships to assist youth, including Family Resource Center, Shelby County Animal Shelter, Alpha Center, Catholic Social Services, Girls Circle, Park Projects, United Way and Council for Boys.

The court’s School Liaison Amy Simindinger continued to work closely with the Court, schools and youths to ensure a collaborative approach in dealing with at-risk youth.

In 2022 the court continued its success in reducing the need for detention services consistent with the prior year. The court’s focus on early intervention and mental health counseling helped reduce the need and significant costs for detention and long-term commitment programs. The Court Navigator position established in 2020 continues to be an asset to the court by focusing on early intervention and mental health treatment to meet this goal.

The court has also established The Link, a separately operated juvenile assessment center. The Link is funded by long term grants from the Department of Youth Services. It is a voluntary, free service for youth and families to receive screening, guidance and service referrals to community partners. Currently all referrals are being made by the court. Full operations are expected in early 2023 when referrals to The Link can then be made by the court, law enforcement, schools, community agencies, parents, custodians, guardians and the youth.

As an officer and member of the Ohio Judicial Conference’s Juvenile Law & Procedure Committee I regularly attended meetings to provide input on proposed legislation, trends and issues that may affect our local court. I also continue to serve on the OJC’s Court Administration Committee and the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Technology.