Title: Juvenile Civil Citations

Summary: Requires that law enforcement officer, upon making contact with juvenile who admits having committed misdemeanor, issue civil citation in certain circumstances.

Full Text:
An act relating to juvenile civil citations; amending s. 985.12, F.S.; requiring that a law enforcement officer, upon making contact with a juvenile who admits having committed a misdemeanor, issue a civil citation in certain circumstances; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 985.12, Florida Statutes, is amend ed to read: 985.12 Civil citation.-(1) There is established a juvenile civil citation process for the purpose of providing an efficient and innovative alternative to custody by the department of Juvenile Justice for children who commit nonserious deli nquent acts and to ensure swift and appropriate consequences. The department shall encourage and assist in the implementation and improvement of civil citation programs or other similar diversion programs around the state. The civil citation or similar div ersion program shall be established at the local level with the concurrence of the chief judge of the circuit, state attorney, public defender, and the head of each local law enforcement agency involved. The program may be operated by an entity such as a law enforcement agency, the department, a juvenile HB 2014 assessment center, the county or municipality, or some other entity selected by the county or municipality. An entity operating the civil citation or similar diversion program must do so in consultation and agreement with the state attorney and local law enforcement agencies. Under such a juvenile civil citation or similar diversion program, any law enforcement officer, upon making contact with a juvenile who admits having committed a misdemeanor, shall may issue a civil citation and assess not more than community service hours, and require participation in intervention services as indicated by an assessment of the needs of the juvenile, including family counseling, urinalysis monitoring, and substance abu se and mental health treatment services. A copy of each citation issued under this section shall be provided to the department, and the department shall enter appropriate information into the juvenile offender information system. Only first-time misdemeano roffenders are eligible for the civil citation or similar diversion program. At the conclusion of a juvenile's civil citation or similar diversion program, the agency operating the program shall report the outcome to the department. The issuance of a civi lcitation is not considered a referral to the department. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.