Parens patriae affords juvenile court judges with a great deal of discretion in dealing with juvenile offenders under the rehabilitative goals of the juvenile justice system. Of the roughly one and a half million cases that are referred to the juvenile justice system each year, about one-third result in dismissals. Another 300,000 are given nominal sanctions. Do these statistics mean that the juvenile court judges are too lenient or could it mean that schools, parents, and law enforcement are referring too many cases where the offenses are minor or where there is little evidence?