Senate Bill 0180

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.



    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180

    By Senator Lee





    23-147A-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the offense of failure to

  3         appear; providing that it is a violation of law

  4         for a juvenile to fail to appear as required

  5         before a court or judicial officer; amending s.

  6         985.215, F.S.; authorizing the detention of a

  7         juvenile charged with failure to appear;

  8         providing for an extension of such period of

  9         detention; reenacting ss. 790.22(8),

10         985.208(1), 985.213(2), 985.228(1), F.S.,

11         relating to the offense of possessing weapons

12         or firearms by a juvenile, the detention of a

13         juvenile, and the adjudicatory hearing for a

14         juvenile, to incorporate the amendment to s.

15         985.215, F.S., in references thereto; providing

16         an effective date.

17

18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

19

20         Section 1.  Failure to appear.--Any child who fails to

21  appear before the court or a judicial officer as required

22  commits a violation of law. The court may order that the child

23  be taken into custody and placed into secure-detention care,

24  home-detention care, or nonsecure-detention care as provided

25  in section 985.215, Florida Statutes.

26         Section 2.  Subsections (2) and (5) of section 985.215,

27  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

28         985.215  Detention.--

29         (2)  Subject to the provisions of subsection (1), a

30  child taken into custody and placed into nonsecure or home

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1  detention care or detained in secure detention care prior to a

  2  detention hearing may continue to be detained by the court if:

  3         (a)  The child is alleged to be an escapee or an

  4  absconder from a commitment program, a community control

  5  program, furlough, or aftercare supervision, or is alleged to

  6  have escaped while being lawfully transported to or from such

  7  program or supervision.

  8         (b)  The child is wanted in another jurisdiction for an

  9  offense which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony.

10         (c)  The child is charged with a delinquent act or

11  violation of law and requests in writing through legal counsel

12  to be detained for protection from an imminent physical threat

13  to his or her personal safety.

14         (d)  The child is charged with committing an offense of

15  domestic violence as defined in s. 741.28(1) and is detained

16  as provided in s. 985.213(2)(b)3.

17         (e)  The child is charged with possession or

18  discharging a firearm on school property in violation of s.

19  790.115.

20         (f)  The child is charged with a capital felony, a life

21  felony, a felony of the first degree, a felony of the second

22  degree that does not involve a violation of chapter 893, or a

23  felony of the third degree that is also a crime of violence,

24  including any such offense involving the use or possession of

25  a firearm.

26         (g)  The child is charged with any second degree or

27  third degree felony involving a violation of chapter 893 or

28  any third degree felony that is not also a crime of violence,

29  and the child:

30

31

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1         1.  Has a record of failure to appear at court hearings

  2  after being properly notified in accordance with the Rules of

  3  Juvenile Procedure;

  4         2.  Has a record of law violations prior to court

  5  hearings;

  6         3.  Has already been detained or has been released and

  7  is awaiting final disposition of the case;

  8         4.  Has a record of violent conduct resulting in

  9  physical injury to others; or

10         5.  Is found to have been in possession of a firearm.

11         (h)  The child is alleged to have violated the

12  conditions of the child's community control or aftercare

13  supervision. However, a child detained under this paragraph

14  may be held only in a consequence unit as provided in s.

15  985.231(1)(a)1.c. If a consequence unit is not available, the

16  child shall be placed on home detention with electronic

17  monitoring.

18         (i)  The child is charged with failure to appear.

19

20  A child who meets any of these criteria and who is ordered to

21  be detained pursuant to this subsection shall be given a

22  hearing within 24 hours after being taken into custody. The

23  purpose of the detention hearing is to determine the existence

24  of probable cause that the child has committed the delinquent

25  act or violation of law with which he or she is charged and

26  the need for continued detention. Unless a child is detained

27  under paragraph (d), or paragraph (e), or paragraph (i), the

28  court shall utilize the results of the risk assessment

29  performed by the juvenile probation officer and, based on the

30  criteria in this subsection, shall determine the need for

31  continued detention. A child placed into secure, nonsecure, or

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1  home detention care may continue to be so detained by the

  2  court pursuant to this subsection. If the court orders a

  3  placement more restrictive than indicated by the results of

  4  the risk assessment instrument, the court shall state, in

  5  writing, clear and convincing reasons for such placement.

  6  Except as provided in s. 790.22(8) or in subparagraph

  7  (10)(a)2., paragraph (10)(b), paragraph (10)(c), or paragraph

  8  (10)(d), when a child is placed into secure or nonsecure

  9  detention care, or into a respite home or other placement

10  pursuant to a court order following a hearing, the court order

11  must include specific instructions that direct the release of

12  the child from such placement no later than 5 p.m. on the last

13  day of the detention period specified in paragraph (5)(b) or

14  paragraph (5)(c), or subparagraph (10)(a)1., whichever is

15  applicable, unless the requirements of such applicable

16  provision have been met or an order of continuance has been

17  granted pursuant to paragraph (5)(d).

18         (5)(a)  A child may not be placed into or held in

19  secure, nonsecure, or home detention care for longer than 24

20  hours unless the court orders such detention care, and the

21  order includes specific instructions that direct the release

22  of the child from such detention care, in accordance with

23  subsection (2). The order shall be a final order, reviewable

24  by appeal pursuant to s. 985.234 and the Florida Rules of

25  Appellate Procedure.  Appeals of such orders shall take

26  precedence over other appeals and other pending matters.

27         (b)  A child may not be held in secure, nonsecure, or

28  home detention care under a special detention order for more

29  than 21 days unless an adjudicatory hearing for the case has

30  been commenced by the court. However, if a child is charged

31  with failure to appear, the child may be held in secure

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1  detention for a total of 28 days prior to commencement of the

  2  adjudicatory hearing.

  3         (c)  A child may not be held in secure, nonsecure, or

  4  home detention care for more than 15 days following the entry

  5  of an order of adjudication.

  6         (d)  The time limits in paragraphs (b) and (c) do not

  7  include periods of delay resulting from a continuance granted

  8  by the court for cause on motion of the child or his or her

  9  counsel or of the state. Upon the issuance of an order

10  granting a continuance for cause on a motion by either the

11  child, the child's counsel, or the state, the court shall

12  conduct a hearing at the end of each 72-hour period, excluding

13  Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, to determine the need

14  for continued detention of the child and the need for further

15  continuance of proceedings for the child or the state.

16         Section 3.  For the purpose of incorporating the

17  amendments made by this act to section 985.215, Florida

18  Statutes, in references thereto, subsection (8) of section

19  790.22, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:

20         790.22  Use of BB guns, air or gas-operated guns, or

21  electric weapons or devices by minor under 16; limitation;

22  possession of firearms by minor under 18 prohibited;

23  penalties.--

24         (8)  Notwithstanding s. 985.213 or s. 985.215(1), if a

25  minor under 18 years of age is charged with an offense that

26  involves the use or possession of a firearm, as defined in s.

27  790.001, including a violation of subsection (3), or is

28  charged for any offense during the commission of which the

29  minor possessed a firearm, the minor shall be detained in

30  secure detention, unless the state attorney authorizes the

31  release of the minor, and shall be given a hearing within 24

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1  hours after being taken into custody. At the hearing, the

  2  court may order that the minor continue to be held in secure

  3  detention in accordance with the applicable time periods

  4  specified in s. 985.215(5), if the court finds that the minor

  5  meets the criteria specified in s. 985.215(2), or if the court

  6  finds by clear and convincing evidence that the minor is a

  7  clear and present danger to himself or herself or the

  8  community. The Department of Juvenile Justice shall prepare a

  9  form for all minors charged under this subsection that states

10  the period of detention and the relevant demographic

11  information, including, but not limited to, the sex, age, and

12  race of the minor; whether or not the minor was represented by

13  private counsel or a public defender; the current offense; and

14  the minor's complete prior record, including any pending

15  cases. The form shall be provided to the judge to be

16  considered when determining whether the minor should be

17  continued in secure detention under this subsection. An order

18  placing a minor in secure detention because the minor is a

19  clear and present danger to himself or herself or the

20  community must be in writing, must specify the need for

21  detention and the benefits derived by the minor or the

22  community by placing the minor in secure detention, and must

23  include a copy of the form provided by the department. The

24  Department of Juvenile Justice must send the form, including a

25  copy of any order, without client-identifying information, to

26  the Office of Economic and Demographic Research.

27         Section 4.  For the purpose of incorporating the

28  amendments made by this act to section 985.215, Florida

29  Statutes, in references thereto, subsection (1) of section

30  985.208, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:

31

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1         985.208  Detention of escapee on authority of the

  2  department.--

  3         (1)  If an authorized agent of the department has

  4  reasonable grounds to believe that any delinquent child

  5  committed to the department has escaped from a facility of the

  6  department or from being lawfully transported thereto or

  7  therefrom, the agent may take the child into active custody

  8  and may deliver the child to the facility or, if it is closer,

  9  to a detention center for return to the facility. However, a

10  child may not be held in detention longer than 24 hours,

11  excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, unless a

12  special order so directing is made by the judge after a

13  detention hearing resulting in a finding that detention is

14  required based on the criteria in s. 985.215(2). The order

15  shall state the reasons for such finding. The reasons shall be

16  reviewable by appeal or in habeas corpus proceedings in the

17  district court of appeal.

18         Section 5.  For the purpose of incorporating the

19  amendments made by this act to section 985.215, Florida

20  Statutes, in references thereto, subsection (2) of section

21  985.213, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:

22         985.213  Use of detention.--

23         (2)(a)  All determinations and court orders regarding

24  placement of a child into detention care shall comply with all

25  requirements and criteria provided in this part and shall be

26  based on a risk assessment of the child, unless the child is

27  placed into detention care as provided in subparagraph (b)3.

28         (b)1.  The risk assessment instrument for detention

29  care placement determinations and orders shall be developed by

30  the Department of Juvenile Justice in agreement with

31  representatives appointed by the following associations: the

                                  7

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1  Conference of Circuit Judges of Florida, the Prosecuting

  2  Attorneys Association, and the Public Defenders Association.

  3  Each association shall appoint two individuals, one

  4  representing an urban area and one representing a rural area.

  5  The parties involved shall evaluate and revise the risk

  6  assessment instrument as is considered necessary using the

  7  method for revision as agreed by the parties. The risk

  8  assessment instrument shall take into consideration, but need

  9  not be limited to, prior history of failure to appear, prior

10  offenses, offenses committed pending adjudication, any

11  unlawful possession of a firearm, theft of a motor vehicle or

12  possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and community control

13  status at the time the child is taken into custody. The risk

14  assessment instrument shall also take into consideration

15  appropriate aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and

16  shall be designed to target a narrower population of children

17  than s. 985.215(2). The risk assessment instrument shall also

18  include any information concerning the child's history of

19  abuse and neglect. The risk assessment shall indicate whether

20  detention care is warranted, and, if detention care is

21  warranted, whether the child should be placed into secure,

22  nonsecure, or home detention care.

23         2.  If, at the detention hearing, the court finds a

24  material error in the scoring of the risk assessment

25  instrument, the court may amend the score to reflect factual

26  accuracy.

27         3.  A child who is charged with committing an offense

28  of domestic violence as defined in s. 741.28(1) and who does

29  not meet detention criteria may be held in secure detention if

30  the court makes specific written findings that:

31

                                  8

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1         a.  The offense of domestic violence which the child is

  2  charged with committing caused physical injury to the victim;

  3         b.  Respite care for the child is not available; and

  4         c.  It is necessary to place the child in secure

  5  detention in order to protect the victim from further injury.

  6

  7  The child may not be held in secure detention under this

  8  subparagraph for more than 48 hours unless ordered by the

  9  court. After 48 hours, the court shall hold a hearing if the

10  state attorney or victim requests that secure detention be

11  continued. The child may continue to be held in secure

12  detention if the court makes a specific, written finding that

13  secure detention is necessary to protect the victim from

14  further injury. However, the child may not be held in secure

15  detention beyond the time limits set forth in s. 985.215.

16         Section 6.  For the purpose of incorporating the

17  amendments made by this act to section 985.215, Florida

18  Statutes, in references thereto, subsection (1) of section

19  985.228, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:

20         985.228  Adjudicatory hearings; withheld adjudications;

21  orders of adjudication.--

22         (1)  The adjudicatory hearing must be held as soon as

23  practicable after the petition alleging that a child has

24  committed a delinquent act or violation of law is filed and in

25  accordance with the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure; but

26  reasonable delay for the purpose of investigation, discovery,

27  or procuring counsel or witnesses shall be granted. If the

28  child is being detained, the time limitations provided for in

29  s. 985.215(5)(b) and (c) apply.

30         Section 7.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2000.

31

                                  9

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2000                                   SB 180
    23-147A-00




  1            *****************************************

  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Provides that it is a violation of law for a juvenile to
      fail to appear as required by the court. Provides that a
  4    juvenile charged with failure to appear may be held in
      detention for up to 28 days before the adjudicatory
  5    hearing is commenced.

  6

  7

  8

  9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  10