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The Florida Senate

2017 Florida Statutes

F.S. 985.439
985.439 Violation of probation or postcommitment probation.
(1)(a) This section is applicable when the court has jurisdiction over a child on probation or postcommitment probation, regardless of adjudication.
(b) If the conditions of the probation program or the postcommitment probation program are violated, the department or the state attorney may bring the child before the court on a petition alleging a violation of the program. A child who violates the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation must be brought before the court if sanctions are sought.
(2) A child taken into custody under s. 985.101 for violating the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation shall be held in a consequence unit if such a unit is available. The child shall be afforded a hearing within 24 hours after being taken into custody to determine the existence of probable cause that the child violated the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation. A consequence unit is a secure facility specifically designated by the department for children who are taken into custody under s. 985.101 for violating probation or postcommitment probation, or who have been found by the court to have violated the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation. If the violation involves a new charge of delinquency, the child may be detained under part V in a facility other than a consequence unit. If the child is not eligible for detention for the new charge of delinquency, the child may be held in the consequence unit pending a hearing and is subject to the time limitations specified in part V.
(3) If the child denies violating the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation, the court shall, upon the child’s request, appoint counsel to represent the child.
(4) Upon the child’s admission, or if the court finds after a hearing that the child has violated the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation, the court shall enter an order revoking, modifying, or continuing probation or postcommitment probation. In each such case, the court shall enter a new disposition order and, in addition to the sanctions set forth in this section, may impose any sanction the court could have imposed at the original disposition hearing. If the child is found to have violated the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation, the court may:
(a) Place the child in a consequence unit in that judicial circuit, if available, for up to 5 days for a first violation and up to 15 days for a second or subsequent violation.
(b) Place the child in nonsecure detention with electronic monitoring. However, this sanction may be used only if a residential consequence unit is not available.
(c) If the violation of probation is technical in nature and not a new violation of law, place the child in an alternative consequence program designed to provide swift and appropriate consequences to any further violations of probation.
1. Alternative consequence programs shall be established, within existing resources, at the local level in coordination with law enforcement agencies, the chief judge of the circuit, the state attorney, and the public defender.
2. Alternative consequence programs may be operated by an entity such as a law enforcement agency, the department, a juvenile assessment center, a county or municipality, or another entity selected by the department.
3. Upon placing a child in an alternative consequence program, the court must approve specific consequences for specific violations of the conditions of probation.
(d) Modify or continue the child’s probation program or postcommitment probation program.
(e) Revoke probation or postcommitment probation and commit the child to the department.
(5) Upon the recommendation of the department at the time of disposition, or subsequent to disposition pursuant to the filing of a petition alleging a violation of the child’s conditions of postcommitment probation, the court may order the child to submit to random testing for the purpose of detecting and monitoring the use of alcohol or controlled substances.
History.s. 48, ch. 2006-120; s. 24, ch. 2014-162.