Consult the advance sheets and bound volumes of the official reports for final revisions and proper pagination. The prosecutor requested that the probate court accept jurisdiction over the minor children, place the children in licensed foster care or with a suitable relative, allow Janice Jagers to have supervised visitation, and order a physical examination of the children. The FIA was also a party in this case but had expressly announced that it intended to retain other counsel. The order incorporating this ruling was entered on May 28, 1996. If it appears that formal jurisdiction should be acquired, the court shall authorize a petition to be filed .
Statutory interpretation is a question of law subject to de novo review on appeal.
The primary goal of statutory interpretation is to ascertain and give effect to the intent of the Legislature in enacting a provision. Statutory language should be construed reasonably, keeping in mind the purpose of the statute. The first criterion in determining intent is the specific language of the statute. If the statutory language is clear and unambiguous, judicial construction is neither required nor permitted, and courts must apply the statute as written. The Juvenile Code should be liberally construed in order to provide each child coming within the juvenile division's jurisdiction with such care, guidance, and control as will be conducive to the child's welfare and the best interest of the state.