Fla. Stat. § 985.25 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 985 / Part V / Section 985.25
985.25 Detention intake.
Status: in_force

(1) The department shall receive custody of a child who has been taken into custody from the law enforcement agency or court and shall review the facts in the law enforcement report or probable cause affidavit and make such further inquiry as may be necessary to determine whether detention care is appropriate. (a) During the period of time from the taking of the child into custody to the date of the detention hearing, the initial decision as to the child’s placement into detention care shall be made by the department under ss. 985.24 and 985.245(1). (b) The department shall base the decision whether to place the child into detention care on an assessment of risk in accordance with the risk assessment instrument and procedures developed by the department under s. 985.245, except that a child shall be placed in secure detention care until the child’s detention hearing if the child meets the criteria specified in s. 985.255(1)(f) or is charged with any other offense involving the possession or use of a firearm. (c) If the final score on the child’s risk assessment instrument indicates detention care is appropriate, but the department otherwise determines the child should be released, the department shall contact the state attorney, who may authorize release. If the final score on the child’s risk assessment instrument indicates release or supervised release is appropriate, but the department otherwise determines that there should be supervised release or detention, the department shall contact the state attorney, who may authorize an upward departure. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, a child may only be moved one category in either direction within the risk assessment instrument and release is not authorized if it would cause the child to be moved more than one category. (d) If the final score on the risk assessment instrument indicates detention is not appropriate, the child may be released by the department in accordance with ss. 985.115 and 985.13. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a child who is arrested for violating the terms of his or her electronic monitoring supervision or his or her supervised release shall be placed in secure detention until his or her detention hearing. (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a child on probation for an underlying felony firearm offense in chapter 790 and who is taken into custody under s. 985.101 for violating conditions of probation not involving a new law violation shall be held in secure detention to allow the state attorney to review the violation. If, within 21 days, the state attorney notifies the court that commitment will be sought, then the child shall remain in secure detention pending proceedings under s. 985.439 until the initial 21-day period of secure detention has expired. Upon motion of the state attorney, the child may be held for an additional 21-day period if the court finds that the totality of the circumstances, including the preservation of public safety, warrants such extension. Any release from secure detention shall result in the child being held on supervised release with electronic monitoring pending proceedings under s. 985.439. Under no circumstances shall the department or the state attorney or law enforcement officer authorize the detention of any child in a jail or other facility intended or used for the detention of adults, without an order of the court.

(2) The arresting law enforcement agency shall complete and present its investigation of an offense to the appropriate state attorney’s office within 8 days after placement of the child in secure detention. The investigation shall include, but is not limited to, police reports and supplemental police reports, witness statements, and evidence collection documents. The failure of a law enforcement agency to complete and present its investigation within 8 days shall not entitle a juvenile to be released from secure detention or to a dismissal of any charges.

History: s. 5, ch. 90-208; s. 31, ch. 94-209; s. 1343, ch. 95-147; s. 10, ch. 95-267; s. 23, ch. 97-238; s. 13, ch. 98-207; s. 4, ch. 99-284; s. 9, ch. 2000-134; s. 33, ch. 2006-120; s. 16, ch. 2014-162; s. 2, ch. 2017-164; s. 8, ch. 2018-86; s. 6, ch. 2023-87; s. 9, ch. 2024-130; s. 28, ch. 2024-133; s. 37, ch. 2025-153.