Title: In Re: Amendments To Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.010
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC10-252
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: November 10, 2010

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
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No. SC10-252 
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IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF JUVENILE 
PROCEDURE 8.010. 
 
[November 10, 2010] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
This matter is before the Court for consideration of proposed amendments to 
Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.010.  We amend rule 8.010 as proposed.1   
On February 10, 2010, the Juvenile Court Rules Committee (Committee) 
filed an out-of-cycle report proposing new subdivision (i), Presence of Counsel, to 
Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.010, Detention Hearing.  The Committee 
published the proposal in The Florida Bar News and on The Florida Bar’s website 
prior to submission to the Court.  No comments were received.  The Court also 
published the proposed amendments to rule 8.010 in The Florida Bar News.  One 
comment was received, urging adoption of subdivision (i). 
                                          
 
1.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
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New subdivision (i) of rule 8.010 requires the state attorney and public 
defender, or their assistants, to attend juvenile detention hearings in person, and is 
similar to a provision in the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, as amended on 
May 28, 2009.  See In re Amendments to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 
3.130, 11 So. 3d 341 (Fla. 2009) (amending rule 3.130(a) to require both the state 
attorney and the public defender, or their designated assistants, to attend all first 
appearance hearings). 
Accordingly, we adopt rule 8.010(i) as reflected in the appendix to this 
opinion.  New language is indicated by underscoring.  The amendment shall 
become effective January 1, 2011, at 12:01 a.m. 
 
It is so ordered. 
CANADY, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, POLSTON, LABARGA, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceeding – Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure 
 
Charles Hugh Davis, Chair, Jacksonville, Florida, and Ronald S. Frankel, Vice 
Chair, Clearwater, Florida, Juvenile Court Rules Committee, and John F. 
Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Beth C. Weitzner, Assistant Public Defender, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, 
Florida, 
 
 
Responding with comments 
 
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APPENDIX 
 
RULE 8.010.   DETENTION HEARING 
(a)-(h)      [No change] 
(i)  
Presence of Counsel.  The state attorney or assistant state attorney and 
public defender or assistant public defender shall attend the detention hearing. 
Detention hearings shall be held with adequate notice to the public defender and 
state attorney. An official record of the proceedings shall be maintained. If the 
child has retained counsel or expresses a desire to retain counsel and is financially 
able, the attendance of the public defender or assistant public defender is not 
required at the detention hearing.