---
title: Updated Petitions
description: "With the continued goal of ease of use and accessibility, the offenses tab will be replaced by the Petitions tab. This will bring petitions, offenses, and requirements together in one place, so you don't have to jump between screens to…"
url: "https://docs.youthcenter.net/docs/updated-petitions/"
updated: "2026-09-29"
category: Client Basics
tags:
  - Court Cases
  - Offenses
---

# Updated Petitions

With the continued goal of ease of use and accessibility, the offenses tab will be replaced by the Petitions tab. This will bring petitions, offenses, and requirements together in one place, so you don't have to jump between screens to find what you need.

![Screenshots comparing two versions of the main menu for YouthCenter. The menu on the left has the Court Cases area expanded, showing the Offenses sub-application with a red graphic x. The menu on the right shows the Court Cases menu highlighted with a red graphic square and the new Petitions sub-applications also highlighted. ](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-23.png)

The Petitions tab includes every field that used to be on the Offenses tab, grouped in similar ways.

To add a new petition, select the green *Create a New Petition* bar at the top of the page.

![Client Petitions page for Theresa Practice, showing one existing petition (2026-JV-00847-DL) with a red arrow graphic pointing to the green "Create a New Petition" button in the top right.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-20.png)

### Petition Fields

Below is a breakdown of all the field options available on the petition. These will match what was previously offered on the offense tab.

##### Petition Details

![Petition Details form with fields for Court Case (required), Court Case Occurrence, Date Received (required, prefilled), Petition Number (required), CTN, Case Type, Service Type, Disposition/Status, and Date of Disposition.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-16.png)

- Court Case: *Dropdown menu used to match the petition to its associated court case occurrence.*  (required)**
- Court Case Occurrence: *Dropdown menu used to match the petition to a specific occurrence within the associated court case.* **
- Date Received: *The date the petition was formally submitted to, and accepted by, the court.*  (required)**
- Petition Number: *** **Free-text field for entering the corresponding petition number.*  (required)**
- CTN: *** **Free-text field for entering the CTN number, when applicable.* **
- Case Type: *Admin-created dropdown menu used to select the specific case type.* **
- Service Type:*Admin-created dropdown menu used to select the specific service type.*
- Disposition/Status: **Admin-created dropdown menu used to select the specific disposition or status type.**
- Date of Disposition: ** ***The date on which the case outcome or resolution was reached. *

##### Petition Requirements/No Contact Orders

Not every petition has special requirements or no-contact orders, so these fields are all optional. Check the box next to any requirement that applies, and fields for the date and details will appear.

![Two form sections: Requirements, with checkboxes and date fields for Fingerprint Required/Date, Fingerprint TCN, Authorization Required/Date, Consent Required/Date, and Detained For; and No Contact Orders, with Start Date, Expiration Date, and checkboxes for "For Intimate Partner?" and "Has Client been notified?"](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-17.png)

##### Offenses

Multiple offenses can be added to a single petition. Each offense includes the following fields.

![Offenses section of a petition with an "Add Offense" button, showing Charge fields (Count, Offense Date, Charge, Abstractable?, DNA Required?) alongside Verdict fields (Adjudication Date, Adjudication Verdict, Disposition Date, Disposition Verdict) and Sanctions fields (Sanction Date, Sanctions), plus Remove Offense and Amend Offense buttons.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-18.png)

- Count: *Open text field used to enter the charge count.*
- Offense Date: *The date on which the charge occurred.*
- Charge: *Admin-modifiable list of charges. Drop-down or type-ahead are available in this area.*
- Abstractable/DNA required: *Checkboxes used to indicate whether the offense is abstractable or requires DNA collection.*
- Adjudication date: *The date on which adjudication for the offense occurred.*
- Adjudication verdict: *The verdict reached at adjudication for the offense.*
- Disposition date: *The date on which disposition for the offense occurred.*
- Disposition verdict: *The verdict reached at disposition for the offense.*
- Sanction date: *The date on which any sanction for the offense was issued.*
- Sanctions: *Admin-modifiable list of sanctions that can be applied to the offense.*
- Remove Offense: *Button used to delete the offense from the petition.*
- Amend Offense: *Once a charge has been added, this option displays a history of changes made to the offense.*

### Reopening a petition: “Refer to Formal” and “Return from Transfer”

If a petition was resolved informally through Consent Calendar, or if a case was transferred to another county and later returned, the appropriate action will appear on the petition or offense.

![Side-by-side comparison of two offense entries on a petition, one showing a misdemeanor charge with Consent Calendar as both the adjudication and disposition verdict, and the other showing a misdemeanor charge with "Transferred to County of Residence" as the adjudication verdict.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-44-scaled.png)

To access this action, select the down caret on the petition listing page:

![Client Petitions page for Theresa Practice, showing alerts that 2 Petitions must be disposed and 2 Offenses must be Adjudicated, with a list entry for petition 122222 and a red arrow graphic pointing to the dropdown menu icon in the top right of the petition card.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-45-1024x722.png)

Choose the associated action.

![Two petition list dropdown menus side by side, each with a red box graphic around the down-caret icon and a red arrow graphic pointing to it; the left menu shows "Return from Transfer" and the right menu shows "Refer to Formal," both listed above View this Petition, Edit this Petition, and Delete this Petition options.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-43.png)

Selecting the action creates a new petition and carries the open offenses forward.

![Two confirmation dialogs side by side, "Return from Transfer" and "Refer to Formal," each explaining that proceeding will reopen the petition and clear out eligible offenses, with a Reopen Date field and Cancel/Reopen Petition buttons.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-42-1024x289.png)

The original petition remains unchanged for historical purposes, and YouthCenter links the two records together.

### Amending an offense

When an offense’s outcome allows for an amendment, such as a felony being reduced to a misdemeanor by the court, an “Amend Offense” option becomes available.

![An offense entry showing a felony charge with a Disposition Verdict of "Charge Amended," with a red arrow graphic pointing to the "Amend Offense" button, which is outlined with a red box graphic.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-37-1024x642.png)

The amendment creates a new offense entry with the updated charge while keeping the original offense in the case history.

![The same offense entry after amending, now showing a note that the original offense's Count, Offense Date, and Charge fields are locked because it has been amended, with a red arrow graphic pointing to that note; below it, outlined with a red box graphic, is the new offense entry created by the amendment with its own blank Charge and Verdict fields.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-38-879x1024.png)

### Changing a case type

If a case needs to move from one case type to another, such as from Designated to Delinquent, the Change Case Type action is available.

![A screenshot of a new petition's Petition Details form created by the Change Case Type action, with a red arrow graphic pointing to the "Change Case Type" link next to the Case Type field.](https://spcdn.shortpixel.ai/spio/ret_img+q_cdnize+to_webp+s_webp/www.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-5.png)

There are two different options when changing a Case Type:

- The Case Type has Changed
  - The current case type was entered correctly, and the nature of the case has changed.
  - Creates a new petition under the new case type and moves the applicable offenses to it.
  - The original petition remains available for historical and reporting purposes (but is only visible via reporting).
- Just Fixing a Typo
  - An accidental entry that needs to be remedied.

![A "Case Type Change" popup explaining the two reasons for changing the case type, with two buttons at the bottom, "The Case Type has Changed" and "Just Fixing a Typo," both outlined with a red box graphic.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-39.png)

### Filtering for petitions

A filter bar at the top of the Petitions tab lets you search for a past petition or narrow the list by petition details.

Click into the filter box, enter the details, then select "filter."

![The Petitions tab's filter bar, with a red arrow graphic labeled "1" pointing to the "Filter this list by anything" search box and a red arrow graphic labeled "2" pointing to the "Filter" button.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-14.png)

### Petition Viewing

The Petitions tab also shows some helpful information beyond the list of past petitions:

- A summary at the top of the page showing any petitions or offenses that still need to be disposed.

![The top of the client's Petitions page, with a red box graphic outlining the Petitions and Offenses summary panels that list what still needs to be disposed or adjudicated.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-27.png)

- Key details for each petition, visible from the list without opening the record.

![Client Petitions page for Theresa Practice showing the sidebar with client photo and probation status, alerts for 1 Petition must be disposed and 1 Offense must be Adjudicated/Disposed, and a red box graphic outlining the full petition card for 2026-JV-00847-DL, including Service Type, Disposition, Disposed On, and the listed offense.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-35.png)

Each of these sections is broken out below:

![A red box graphic outlining the top row of a petition card in the petitions list, showing the petition number and date received.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-30.png)

- Petition number
- Date received

![A red box graphic outlining a line of a petition card showing the Service Type, Disposition, and Disposed On status.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-29.png)

- Service type
- Disposition information and whether the data has been added

![A red box graphic outlining the Offenses section of a petition card in the list, showing the charge code and description, offense type, offense date, and who created the offense and when.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-32.png)

- Charge code and description
- Type of Offense
- Date of Offense
- Created date of offense and by whom

### Editing/Updating a previous petition

To edit an existing petition, select the down caret next to the petition.

![A red arrow graphic pointing to the down-caret dropdown icon on a petition card in the Petitions list.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-33.png)

Then, choose "Edit this petition."

![The expanded dropdown menu from a petition card, showing View this Petition, Refer to Formal, Edit this Petition, and Delete this Petition options, with a red box graphic around the down-caret icon.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-25.png)

Once inside the record, select "Edit Petition" again to make any updates to the petition information.

![A petition detail page showing Petition Details, Attorneys, Offenses, Tags, and Flag sections, with a red arrow graphic pointing to the edit (pencil) icon in the top right of the page.](https://docs.youthcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/image-34-1024x781.png)

### Deleting a petition

Deleting a petition also removes its offenses, related attorney appointments, and Register of Action events. YouthCenter will ask you to confirm the deletion before it is completed because the action cannot be undone.

### Permissions

Your existing permissions will continue to work with the new Petitions app. The permissions that previously controlled legacy Offenses now apply to the new Petitions screens, so there’s nothing you need to reassign.

You may notice that **some permission names have changed**. “Offenses” is now labeled “Petitions,” and “Offense: View” and “Offense: Edit” are now “Petition: View” and “Petition: Edit.”

There is also one **new permission** to review: Petition: Delete. The legacy Offenses page did not have an equivalent permission. To avoid disrupting existing workflows, we’ve automatically granted Petition: Delete to groups that already have permission to edit petitions.

If your site would prefer to limit deletion to a smaller group of users, an administrator can update that permission in Group Permissions.

### Was this article helpful?