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The Florida Senate

2015 Florida Statutes

Title XLVII CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CORRECTIONS
Chapter 985 JUVENILE JUSTICE; INTERSTATE COMPACT ON JUVENILES Entire Chapter
SECTION 255
Detention criteria; detention hearing.
F.S. 985.255
985.255 Detention criteria; detention hearing.—
(1) Subject to s. 985.25(1), a child taken into custody and placed into secure or nonsecure detention care shall be given a hearing within 24 hours after being taken into custody. At the hearing, the court may order continued detention if:
(a) The child is alleged to be an escapee from a residential commitment program; or an absconder from a nonresidential commitment program, a probation program, or conditional release supervision; or is alleged to have escaped while being lawfully transported to or from a residential commitment program.
(b) The child is wanted in another jurisdiction for an offense which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony.
(c) The child is charged with a delinquent act or violation of law and requests in writing through legal counsel to be detained for protection from an imminent physical threat to his or her personal safety.
(d) The child is charged with committing an offense of domestic violence as defined in s. 741.28 and is detained as provided in subsection (2).
(e) The child is charged with possession of or discharging a firearm on school property in violation of s. 790.115 or the illegal possession of a firearm.
(f) The child is charged with a capital felony, a life felony, a felony of the first degree, a felony of the second degree that does not involve a violation of chapter 893, or a felony of the third degree that is also a crime of violence, including any such offense involving the use or possession of a firearm.
(g) The child is charged with any second degree or third degree felony involving a violation of chapter 893 or any third degree felony that is not also a crime of violence, and the child:
1. Has a record of failure to appear at court hearings after being properly notified in accordance with the Rules of Juvenile Procedure;
2. Has a record of law violations prior to court hearings;
3. Has already been detained or has been released and is awaiting final disposition of the case;
4. Has a record of violent conduct resulting in physical injury to others; or
5. Is found to have been in possession of a firearm.
(h) The child is alleged to have violated the conditions of the child’s probation or conditional release supervision. However, a child detained under this paragraph may be held only in a consequence unit as provided in s. 985.439. If a consequence unit is not available, the child shall be placed on nonsecure detention with electronic monitoring.
(i) The child is detained on a judicial order for failure to appear and has previously willfully failed to appear, after proper notice:
1. For an adjudicatory hearing on the same case regardless of the results of the risk assessment instrument; or
2. At two or more court hearings of any nature on the same case regardless of the results of the risk assessment instrument.

A child may be held in secure detention for up to 72 hours in advance of the next scheduled court hearing pursuant to this paragraph. The child’s failure to keep the clerk of court and defense counsel informed of a current and valid mailing address where the child will receive notice to appear at court proceedings does not provide an adequate ground for excusal of the child’s nonappearance at the hearings.

(2) A child who is charged with committing an offense that is classified as an act of domestic violence as defined in s. 741.28 and whose risk assessment instrument indicates secure detention is not appropriate may be held in secure detention if the court makes specific written findings that:
(a) Respite care for the child is not available.
(b) It is necessary to place the child in secure detention in order to protect the victim from injury.

The child may not be held in secure detention under this subsection for more than 48 hours unless ordered by the court. After 48 hours, the court shall hold a hearing if the state attorney or victim requests that secure detention be continued. The child may continue to be held in detention care if the court makes a specific, written finding that detention care is necessary to protect the victim from injury. However, the child may not be held in detention care beyond the time limits set forth in this section or s. 985.26.

(3)(a) The purpose of the detention hearing required under subsection (1) is to determine the existence of probable cause that the child has committed the delinquent act or violation of law that he or she is charged with and the need for continued detention. Unless a child is detained under paragraph (1)(d) or paragraph (1)(e), the court shall use the results of the risk assessment performed by the department and, based on the criteria in subsection (1), shall determine the need for continued detention.
(b) If the court orders a placement more restrictive than indicated by the results of the risk assessment instrument, the court shall state, in writing, clear and convincing reasons for such placement.
(c) Except as provided in s. 790.22(8) or in s. 985.27, when a child is placed into secure or nonsecure detention care, or into a respite home or other placement pursuant to a court order following a hearing, the court order must include specific instructions that direct the release of the child from such placement no later than 5 p.m. on the last day of the detention period specified in s. 985.26 or s. 985.27, whichever is applicable, unless the requirements of such applicable provision have been met or an order of continuance has been granted under s. 985.26(4). If the court order does not include a release date, the release date shall be requested from the court on the same date that the child is placed in detention care. If a subsequent hearing is needed to provide additional information to the court for safety planning, the initial order placing the child in detention care shall reflect the next detention review hearing, which shall be held within 3 calendar days after the child’s initial detention placement.
History.—s. 5, ch. 90-208; s. 4, ch. 92-79; s. 6, ch. 92-287; s. 31, ch. 94-209; s. 1343, ch. 95-147; s. 10, ch. 95-267; s. 5, ch. 96-398; s. 23, ch. 97-238; s. 13, ch. 98-207; s. 4, ch. 99-284; s. 9, ch. 2000-134; s. 24, ch. 2000-135; s. 37, ch. 2001-64; s. 19, ch. 2001-125; s. 17, ch. 2002-55; s. 4, ch. 2005-263; s. 34, ch. 2006-120; s. 17, ch. 2014-162.
Note.—Former s. 39.044(2); s. 985.215(2).