Pennsylvania  |  Criminal Law

Damange awards as a result of guilty verdict

A 16 year old juvenile was adjudicated guilty of the charge unauthorized use of a vehile.Subsequently as part of sentencing,the judge ordered the child to pay the insurance company $15,000(the amount to repair the vehicle since it was wrecked).The insurance company was not listed as a plantiff on the complaint nor did it have representation at the adjudication hearing.The court case was listed as CommonWealth v. defendant.There were no other charges.Can a Judge award damages to a party not listed on the complaint? My understanding is that a criminal court decides guilt or innocence and that a damage award is a matter of civil jurisdiction where entitlement and negligence must be argued and proved.