The Florida Senate

Reviewing probable cause affidavit.—The juvenile probation officer shall make a preliminary determination as to whether the report, affidavit, or complaint is complete, consulting with the state attorney as may be necessary. A report, affidavit, or complaint alleging that a child has committed a delinquent act or violation of law shall be made to the intake office operating in the county in which the child is found or in which the delinquent act or violation of law occurred. Any person or agency having knowledge of the facts may make such a written report, affidavit, or complaint and shall furnish to the intake office facts sufficient to establish the jurisdiction of the court and to support a finding by the court that the child has committed a delinquent act or violation of law.

Notification concerning apparent insufficiencies in probable cause affidavit.—In any case where the juvenile probation officer or the state attorney finds that the report, affidavit, or complaint is insufficient by the standards for a probable cause affidavit, the juvenile probation officer or state attorney shall return the report, affidavit, or complaint, without delay, to the person or agency originating the report, affidavit, or complaint or having knowledge of the facts or to the appropriate law enforcement agency having investigative jurisdiction of the offense, and shall request, and the person or agency shall promptly furnish, additional information in order to comply with the standards for a probable cause affidavit.

Screening.—During the intake process, the juvenile probation officer shall screen each child or shall cause each child to be screened in order to determine:

Completing risk assessment instrument.—The juvenile probation officer shall ensure that a risk assessment instrument establishing the child’s eligibility for detention has been accurately completed and that the appropriate recommendation was made to the court.

Rights.—The juvenile probation officer shall inquire as to whether the child understands his or her rights to counsel and against self-incrimination.

Multidisciplinary assessment.—The juvenile probation officer shall coordinate the multidisciplinary assessment when required, which includes the classification and placement process that determines the child’s priority needs, risk classification, and treatment plan. When sufficient evidence exists to warrant a comprehensive assessment and the child fails to voluntarily participate in the assessment efforts, the juvenile probation officer shall inform the court of the need for the assessment and the refusal of the child to participate in such assessment. This assessment, classification, and placement process shall develop into the predisposition report.

Comprehensive assessment.—The juvenile probation officer, pursuant to uniform procedures established by the department and upon determining that the report, affidavit, or complaint is complete, shall:

Referrals for services.—The juvenile probation officer shall make recommendations for services and facilitate the delivery of those services to the child, including any mental health services, educational services, family counseling services, family assistance services, and substance abuse services.

Recommendation concerning a petition.—Upon determining that the report, affidavit, or complaint complies with the standards of a probable cause affidavit and that the interests of the child and the public will be best served, the juvenile probation officer may recommend that a delinquency petition not be filed. If such a recommendation is made, the juvenile probation officer shall advise in writing the person or agency making the report, affidavit, or complaint, the victim, if any, and the law enforcement agency having investigative jurisdiction over the offense of the recommendation; the reasons therefor; and that the person or agency may submit, within 10 days after the receipt of such notice, the report, affidavit, or complaint to the state attorney for special review. The state attorney, upon receiving a request for special review, shall consider the facts presented by the report, affidavit, or complaint, and by the juvenile probation officer who made the recommendation that no petition be filed, before making a final decision as to whether a petition or information should or should not be filed.

Completing intake report.—Subject to the interagency agreement authorized under this paragraph, the juvenile probation officer for each case in which a child is alleged to have committed a violation of law or delinquent act and is not detained shall submit a written report to the state attorney, including the original report, complaint, or affidavit, or a copy thereof, including a copy of the child’s prior juvenile record, within 20 days after the date the child is taken into custody. In cases in which the child is in detention, the intake office report must be submitted within 24 hours after the child is placed into detention. The intake office report may include a recommendation that a petition or information be filed or that no petition or information be filed and may set forth reasons for the recommendation. The state attorney and the department may, on a district-by-district basis, enter into interagency agreements denoting the cases that will require a recommendation and those for which a recommendation is unnecessary.