Fla. Stat. § 985.255 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 985 / Part V / Section 985.255
985.255 Detention criteria; detention hearing.
Status: in_force

(1) Subject to s. 985.25(1), a child taken into custody and placed into detention care shall be given a hearing within 24 hours after being taken into custody. At the hearing, the court may order a continued detention status if: (a) The result of the risk assessment instrument pursuant to s. 985.245 indicates secure or supervised release detention or the court makes the findings required under paragraph (3)(b). (b) 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. (c) The child is wanted in another jurisdiction for an offense which, if committed by an adult, would be a felony. (d) 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. (e) 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. (f) The child is a prolific juvenile offender. A child is a prolific juvenile offender if the child: 1. Is charged with a delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult; 2. Has been adjudicated or had adjudication withheld for a felony offense, or delinquent act that would be a felony if committed by an adult, before the charge under subparagraph 1.; and 3. In addition to meeting the requirements of subparagraphs 1. and 2., has five or more of any of the following, at least three of which must have been for felony offenses or delinquent acts that would have been felonies if committed by an adult: a. An arrest event for which a disposition, as defined in s. 985.26, has not been entered; b. An adjudication; or c. An adjudication withheld. As used in this subparagraph, the term “arrest event” means an arrest or referral for one or more criminal offenses or delinquent acts arising out of the same episode, act, or transaction. (g) The court finds probable cause at the detention hearing that the child committed one or more of the following offenses: 1. Murder in the first degree under s. 782.04(1)(a). 2. Murder in the second degree under s. 782.04(2). 3. Armed robbery under s. 812.13(2)(a) that involves the use or possession of a firearm as defined in s. 790.001. 4. Armed carjacking under s. 812.133(2)(a) that involves the use or possession of a firearm as defined in s. 790.001. 5. Having a firearm while committing a felony under s. 790.07(2). 6. Armed burglary under s. 810.02(2)(b) that involves the use or possession of a firearm as defined in s. 790.001. 7. Delinquent in possession of a firearm under s. 790.23(1)(b). 8. An attempt to commit any offense listed in this paragraph under s. 777.04. (h) For a child who meets the criteria in paragraph (g): 1. There is a presumption that the child presents a risk to public safety and danger to the community and such child must be held in secure detention prior to an adjudicatory hearing, unless the court enters a written order that the child would not present a risk to public safety or a danger to the community if he or she were placed on supervised release detention care. 2. The written order releasing a child from secure detention must be based on clear and convincing evidence why the child does not present a risk to public safety or a danger to the community and must list the child’s prior adjudications, dispositions, and prior violations of pretrial release orders. A court releasing a child from secure detention under this subparagraph shall place the child on supervised release detention care with electronic monitoring until the child’s adjudicatory hearing. 3. If an adjudicatory hearing has not taken place after 60 days of secure detention for a child held in secure detention under this paragraph, the court must prioritize the efficient disposition of cases and hold a review hearing within each successive 7-day review period until the adjudicatory hearing or until the child is placed on supervised release with electronic monitoring under subparagraph 2. 4. If the court, under this section, releases a child to supervised release detention care, the court must provide a copy of the written order to the victim, to the law enforcement agency that arrested the child, and to the law enforcement agency with primary jurisdiction over the child’s primary residence.

(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. The court shall consider 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. If the child is a prolific juvenile offender who is detained under s. 985.26(2)(c), the court shall consider the results of the risk assessment performed by the department and the criteria in subsection (1) or subsection (2) only to determine whether the prolific juvenile offender should be held in secure detention. (b) The court may order a placement more or less restrictive than indicated by the results of the risk assessment instrument, and, if the court does so, shall state, in writing, clear and convincing reasons for such placement. (c) Except as provided in s. 985.27, when a child is placed into 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 1 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; ss. 3, 13, ch. 2017-164; s. 9, ch. 2018-86; s. 10, ch. 2024-130; s. 29, ch. 2024-133.