The San Diego Superior Court resumed its Juvenile Court town hall webinar series on Thursday, April 17, 2025, now with a focus on Juvenile Justice.

The town hall series aims to inform San Diego County residents about the court, its processes, and the role of partner agencies in Juvenile Court proceedings, which have several confidentiality requirements. The first half of the webinar series was held across three town hall sessions in 2023-2024 and covered juvenile dependency actions involving alleged abuse or neglect of a youth by a parent or caregiver. The upcoming webinars will cover juvenile justice actions, which begin when a youth is charged with a crime.

This town hall session will answer some of the most common juvenile justice questions, explain the efforts made before a case is filed and the process after a case is filed, and provide clarity on how decisions are made within the guidelines of California law.

Demystifying Juvenile Justice:

the role of the court in promoting rehabilitation, public safety and justice

Thursday, April 17, 2025

4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

via Zoom (view recording)

Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Ana Espana will moderate the town hall session. Panelists include:

• Tamika Nelson, Chief Probation Officer, San Diego County Probation Department
• Samira Seidu, Chief of the Juvenile Branch, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
• Frank Barone, Supervising Attorney, Juvenile Justice Division, Office of the Primary Public Defender

Members of the public were encouraged to submit questions anonymously before the town hall through an online survey. Questions received by April 10, 2025, were addressed by the panel as much as possible. There was an opportunity for town hall attendees to also submit questions during the event through the Q&A feature on Zoom.

Please stay tuned for more details on the next Juvenile Justice Town Hall in September 2025.

For more information on the San Diego Superior Court’s Juvenile Court, please visit sdcourt.ca.gov/Juvenile.