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Frequently Asked Questions

What will happen if my child is taken to juvenile hall after the arrest?
It is up to the probation officer whether or not to keep your child in custody. The probation officer may let your child go home without asking the district attorney to file a petition. The probation officer may allow your child to go home and still refer the case to the district attorney, who will decide whether or not to file a petition. There may be restrictions placed on your child as a condition of being allowed to go home.

If the probation officer keeps your child locked up, the law requires that a petition be filed very quickly, usually within 48 hours from the time the child is taken into custody by the police. Then there must be a detention fearing the next day that the court is in session. The courts are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

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1. My child came home after being arrested. What will happen now?
2. My child was arrested and taken into custody. What can the arresting officer do?
3. If we get a Notice to Appear, what will happen at the meeting with the probation officer? What should I do?
4. Do I need a lawyer for myself?
5. Does my child need a lawyer?
6. My child’s probation officer told me that the district attorney will be filing a petition. What does that mean?
7. What will happen if my child is taken to juvenile hall after the arrest?
8. How long could my child have to stay in juvenile hall?
9. Can I visit my child in juvenile hall?
10. What is the role of the probation officer?
11. How will my child and I find out about the court hearings?
12. What hearings will my child go to in juvenile court?
13. What will happen at the jurisdiction hearing?
14. What will happen at the disposition hearing?
15. May I be present at the hearings?
16. May I speak at the hearings?
17. Do we have the right to an interpreter?
18. May the victim attend and speak at the disposition hearing?
19. When can my child be tried as an adult?
20. What felonies are likely to be tried in adult court?
21. Where will my child go if he or she is sent to the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ)?
22. When would my child go to the Division of Adult Operations instead of the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ)?
23. Am I financially liable for my child’s acts?
24. Will I be required to pay my child’s fees?
25. Can my child’s juvenile records be sealed?
26. Can my child’s juvenile court record be used against him or her as an adult?
27. What should I do as a parent?