Florida · statute · Fla. Stat. ch. 985 · 111 active provisions
(1) The purposes of this chapter are:(a) To increase public safety by reducing juvenile delinquency through effective prevention, intervention, and treatment services that strengthen and reform the lives of children.(b) To provide judicial and other procedures to assure due process through which children, victims, and…
(1) GENERAL PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN.—It is a purpose of the Legislature that the children of this state be provided with the following protections:(a) Protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.(b) A permanent and stable home.(c) A safe and nurturing environment which will preserve a sense of personal dignity an…
As used in this chapter, the term:(1) “Abscond” means to hide, conceal, or absent oneself from the jurisdiction of the court or supervision of the department to avoid prosecution or supervision.(2) “Addictions receiving facility” means a substance abuse service provider as defined in chapter 397.(3) “Adjudicatory heari…
(1) The circuit court has exclusive original jurisdiction of proceedings in which a child is alleged to have committed:(a) A delinquent act or violation of law.(b) A noncriminal violation that has been assigned to juvenile court by law.(2) The jurisdiction of the court shall attach to the child and the case when the su…
(1) This section may be cited as the “Kaia Rolle Act.”(2) A child younger than 7 years of age may not be arrested, charged, or adjudicated delinquent for a delinquent act or violation of law based on an act occurring before he or she reaches 7 years of age, unless the violation of law is a forcible felony as defined in…
(1) For cases arising under this chapter, the state attorney shall represent the state.(2) A juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent or has adjudication of delinquency withheld shall be assessed costs of prosecution as provided in s. 938.27.
(1) A child is entitled to representation by legal counsel at all stages of any delinquency court proceedings under this chapter. If the child and the parents or other legal guardian are indigent and unable to employ counsel for the child, the court shall appoint counsel under s. 27.52. Determination of indigence and c…
(1) All hearings, except as provided in this section, must be open to the public, and no person may be excluded except on special order of the court. The court, in its discretion, may close any hearing to the public when the public interest and the welfare of the child are best served by so doing. Hearings involving mo…
(1) Nothing in this chapter prohibits:(a) The victim of the offense;(b) The victim’s parent or guardian if the victim is a minor;(c) The lawful representative of the victim or of the victim’s parent or guardian if the victim is a minor; or(d) The next of kin if the victim is a homicide victim,from the right, upon reque…
(1) CONTEMPT OF COURT; LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—The court may punish any child for contempt for interfering with the court or with court administration, or for violating any provision of this chapter or order of the court relative thereto. It is the intent of the Legislature that the court restrict and limit the use of cont…
(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) or subsection (4):(a) When any child is placed into supervised release detention, probation, or other supervision status with the department, the court shall order the parent of such child to pay to the department a fee for the cost of the supervision of such child in the amount…
(1)(a) Except as provided in subsections (2), (3), (6), and (7) and s. 943.053, all information obtained under this chapter in the discharge of official duty by any judge, any employee of the court, any authorized agent of the department, the Florida Commission on Offender Review, the Department of Corrections, the juv…
(1) The clerk of the court shall make and keep records of all cases brought before it under this chapter. The court shall preserve the records pertaining to a child charged with committing a delinquent act or violation of law until the child reaches 24 years of age or reaches 26 years of age if he or she is a serious o…
(1) The Department of Education, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall create an information-sharing workgroup for the purpose of developing and implementing a workable statewide system of sharing information among school districts, state and local law enforcement agencies, pro…
(1)(a) For the purpose of assisting in law enforcement administration and decisionmaking, such as juvenile diversion from continued involvement with the law enforcement and judicial systems, the sheriff of the county in which juveniles are taken into custody is encouraged to maintain a central identification file on se…
(1) A child may be taken into custody under the following circumstances:(a) Pursuant to an order of the circuit court issued under this chapter, based upon sworn testimony, either before or after a petition is filed.(b) For a delinquent act or violation of law, pursuant to Florida law pertaining to a lawful arrest. If…
(1)(a) A child who is charged with or found to have committed an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult shall be fingerprinted and the fingerprints must be submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement as provided in s. 943.051(3)(a).(b) Unless the child is issued a prearrest delinquency citation purs…
(1) A child taken into custody shall be released from custody as soon as is reasonably possible.(2) Unless otherwise ordered by the court under s. 985.255 or s. 985.26, and unless there is a need to hold the child, a person taking a child into custody shall attempt to release the child as follows:(a) To the child’s par…
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—The Legislature finds that the creation and implementation of any prearrest delinquency citation programs at the judicial circuit level promotes public safety, aids interagency cooperation, and provides the greatest chance of success for prearrest delinquency citation programs. The…
(1) A law enforcement agency, in cooperation with the state attorney, may establish a postarrest diversion program.(2) As part of the postarrest diversion program, a child who is alleged to have committed a delinquent act may be required to surrender his or her driver license, or refrain from applying for a driver lice…
(1) As used in this section, the term “diversion program” has the same meaning as provided in s. 943.0582.(2) Upon issuance of documentation requiring a minor to participate in a diversion program, before or without an arrest, the issuing law enforcement officer shall send a copy of such documentation to the entity des…
(1) If the child is released, the person taking the child into custody shall make a written report or probable cause affidavit to the appropriate juvenile probation officer within 24 hours after such release, stating the facts and the reason for taking the child into custody. Such written report or probable cause affid…
(1) As used in this section, “center” means a juvenile assessment center comprising community operated facilities and programs which provide collocated central intake and screening services for youth referred to the department.(2) The department shall work cooperatively with substance abuse programs, mental health prov…
(1) The department shall develop an intake and a case management system whereby a child brought into intake is assigned a juvenile probation officer if the child was not released, referred to a diversionary program, referred for community arbitration, or referred to some other program or agency for the purpose of nonof…
(1) The department shall serve as the primary case manager for the purpose of managing, coordinating, and monitoring the services provided to the child. Each program administrator within the Department of Children and Families shall cooperate with the primary case manager in carrying out the duties and responsibilities…