GA Code § 15-11-423 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 15 - Courts|Chapter 11 - Juvenile Code|Article 5 - Child in Need of Services|Part 5 - Petition and Summons|§ 15-11-423. Issuance of Summons

  The court shall direct the issuance of a summons to the child alleged to be a child in need of services, his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian, DFCS and any other public agencies or institutions providing services, and any other persons who appear to the court to be proper or necessary parties to such child in need of services proceeding requiring them to appear before the court at the time fixed to answer the allegations of the petition seeking an adjudication that a child is in need of services. A copy of such petition shall accompany the summons.   The summons shall state that a party is entitled to an attorney in the proceedings and that the court will appoint an attorney if the party is an indigent person.   A party other than a child may waive service of summons by written stipulation or by voluntary appearance at the hearing.     (Code 1981, §15-11-423, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.)   Cross references.   - Amendment to Juvenile Court petition, Uniform Rules for the Juvenile Courts of Georgia, Rule 6.6.   Continuance of adjudicatory hearing in Juvenile Court, Uniform Rules for the Juvenile Courts of Georgia, Rule 11.3.   Law reviews.   - For article discussing due process in juvenile court procedures in California and Georgia, in light of In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S. Ct. 1428, 18 L. Ed. 2d 527 (1967), see 8 Ga. St. B. J. 9 (1971).   JUDICIAL DECISIONS   Editor's notes.   - In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, decisions under former Code 1933, § 24A-1701, pre-2000 Code Section 15-11-26 and pre-2014 Code Section 15-11-39, which were subsequently repealed but were succeeded by provisions in this Code section, are included in the annotations for this Code section. See the Editor's notes at the beginning of the chapter.   Waiver of notice.    - In a juvenile delinquency case, although neither defendants nor their parents were served with copies of the petitions and hearing summonses as required by former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-39 (see now O.C.G.A. §§ 15-11-162,15-11-281, and15-11-423,15-11-425, and15-11-532), the defendants and their parents appeared at the hearings with their attorneys without objecting to lack of notice; thus, the defendants and their parents waived the notice issue. In the Interest of T.K.L., 277 Ga. App. 461, 627 S.E.2d 98 (2006) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-39).   Implied waiver of service on behalf of child.    - If a child is present at a juvenile court hearing with the child's parent and counsel, the child's parent impliedly may waive service of a summons on a child's behalf by voluntary appearance at a hearing without objection to lack of service. Fulton County Detention Center v. Robertson, 249 Ga. 864, 295 S.E.2d 101 (1982) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-26).   Parent's right to appeal delinquency adjudication.    - As parties to their child's delinquency action pursuant to former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-39(b) (see now O.C.G.A. §§ 15-11-160,15-11-423, and15-11-530), the child's parents had the right to appeal the juvenile court's judgment and to participate in the appellate process. In the Interest of J.L.B., 280 Ga. App. 556, 634 S.E.2d 514 (2006) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-39).   Proceeding null when no waiver of rights nor proper service.    - If, in a juvenile court proceeding, there was neither waiver of the right of a mother, nor proper service upon the parties and if the hearing is not taken under oath, or waived by any of the parties, the proceeding is an absolute nullity. McBurrough v. Dep't of Human Resources, 150 Ga. App. 130, 257 S.E.2d 35 (1979) (decided under former Code 1933, § 24A-1701).   No fixed date on summons.    - Summons served upon a parent did not have to require the parent to appear in court on any fixed date in order to answer allegations in a petition to terminate the parent's parental rights. In re W.R.S., 213 Ga. App. 616, 445 S.E.2d 367 (1994) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-26).    If there was no service of process and notice as required by former O.C.G.A. §§ 15-11-26(b) and15-11-27(a) (see now O.C.G.A. § 15-11-1 et seq.) and there was no valid waiver of notice of the pending charge by service of process or otherwise, the entire hearing is a nullity. In re W.M.F., 180 Ga. App. 397, 349 S.E.2d 265 (1986) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-26).   Waiver of right to prior notice of charge.    - If neither the juvenile nor the mother were represented by counsel at the dispositional hearing, neither party knew the nature of the charge filed against the minor, and neither party knew of the serious consequences which may result in the case of an adverse adjudication of the petition filed against the juvenile, it is highly unlikely that the parties understood the significance of waiving their right to prior notice of the pending charge. In re W.M.F., 180 Ga. App. 397, 349 S.E.2d 265 (1986) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-26).