Rule 5:24-4.Order of Disposition
Last amended September 1, 2004 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of Rule 5:24-4
Amendment History
New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “Note” beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; a “Source” line names the former rule the current one grew out of, and “R. (1969)” citations refer to the earlier numbering it replaced.
Note: Source--R. (1969) 5:9-10(a), (b), (c). Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; paragraph (c) amended July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994; paragraph (b) amended July 28, 2004 to be effective September 1, 2004.
Plain-English Summary
An order is filed in every case indicating the disposition. Where the juvenile is placed on probation or committed, a memorandum is attached carrying information to help the receiving agency or institution in treating the juvenile.
Commitment to a correctional institution requires groundwork. A pre-disposition investigation and report — or a functional equivalent such as an intensive supervision programme report or a violation of probation summary — must be made and considered by the court first.
One requirement exists to make juvenile sentences comparable to adult ones. If the court commits a juvenile to a correctional institution and the maximum authorised term is less than three years, the commitment order must state what the degree of the offense and the sentence maximum would have been had an adult committed it.
Finally, cost. Where a juvenile is committed to an institution or referred to the State Diagnostic Center, the judge inquires into the parent's or guardian's ability to pay the expense of the commitment proceedings and the juvenile's board, and endorses the findings on the commitment order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must happen before a juvenile is committed to a correctional institution?
A pre-disposition investigation and report, or a functional equivalent such as a Juvenile Intensive Supervision Program report or a Violation of Probation summary, must be made and considered by the court.
Why does the order mention an adult sentence?
Where the court commits a juvenile and the maximum authorized term is less than three years, the commitment order must state what the degree of the offense and the sentence maximum would have been had the juvenile committed the offense as an adult.
Can parents be charged for the cost of commitment?
The judge inquires into the ability of the parent or guardian to pay the expense of the commitment proceedings and the board of the juvenile, and endorses a statement of the findings on the order of commitment.