What process involves the court determining whether a juvenile should be tried as an adult through a formal request?

The process of determining whether a juvenile should be tried as an adult through a formal request is known as a waiver. This legal mechanism allows the juvenile court to relinquish its jurisdiction over a minor, transferring the case to adult court, typically because the nature of the crime or the juvenile's prior record suggests that they would be more appropriately dealt with under adult criminal procedures.

The waiver process involves a consideration of factors such as the severity of the offense, the juvenile's age, and their prior criminal history. If the court finds sufficient grounds, it officially waives jurisdiction, thus moving the case to adult court where more severe penalties can be imposed.

Other terms such as indictment, direct file, and preliminary hearing refer to different stages or types of court proceedings. An indictment is the formal charge of a crime, a direct file refers to prosecutors filing charges directly in adult court without a waiver hearing, and a preliminary hearing is used to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial, but none of these terms specifically address the transfer of jurisdiction decision characteristic of the waiver process.