Under which condition is the court required to waive jurisdiction over a juvenile defendant?

• A. When there are no prior offenses
• B. When there is one prior non-traffic offense
• C. When there are two prior convictions for non-traffic offenses
• D. When the child is over 18

Answer: (C)

The rule being tested is that when a juvenile has a history of repeated offenses, the court is required to move the case to adult court. Specifically, two prior convictions for non-traffic offenses mandate a waiver of juvenile jurisdiction. This reflects a policy that persistent serious misconduct by a youth should be addressed in the adult system. If there are no prior offenses, the case stays in the juvenile system with juvenile remedies. With one prior non-traffic offense, waiver is not automatically required, and the court may consider transfer under discretionary rules rather than a mandatory one. Being over 18 removes the case from juvenile court altogether, so waiver of juvenile jurisdiction isn’t applicable. Therefore, two prior convictions for non-traffic offenses is the condition that requires waiver.