Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) is a salient issue that has been found at every stage of
the decision-making process in the juvenile justice system. Existing research indicates that DMC
influences adjudication for drug, property, and personal crimes. Because intimate partner
violence(IPV) is a major public health problem and global concern, the current study examines
DMC at adjudication among youth charged for crimes of interpersonal violence. This research
uses administrative, Court Designated Worker (CDW) data collected from 2014 to 2016 (n =
699). The results are contextualized using Steffensmeier's version of focal concerns theory of
judicial decision-making. This study assesses race and two seriousness of offense measures to
establish whether a link exists between race and adjudication. The results of this study coincide
with previous research. These results are discussed in terms of policy implications, limitations,
and future research.