2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 10A. Children and Juvenile Code › §10A-2-2-101. Taking of child into custody - Detention - Medical treatment - Behavioral health treatment - Hearing on order for medical treatment.

A. A child may be taken into custody prior to the filing of a petition alleging that the child is delinquent or in need of supervision:
1. By a peace officer, without a court order for any criminal offense for which the officer is authorized to arrest an adult without a warrant, or if the child is willfully and voluntarily absent from the home of the child without the consent of the parent, legal guardian, legal custodian or other person having custody and control of the child for a substantial length of time or without intent to return, or if the surroundings of the child are such as to endanger the welfare of the child;
2. By a peace officer or an employee of the court without a court order, if the child is willfully and voluntarily absent from the home of the child without the consent of the parent, legal guardian, legal custodian or other person having custody and control of the child if the surroundings of the child are such as to endanger the welfare of the child or, in the reasonable belief of the employee of the court or peace officer, the child appears to have run away from home without just cause. For purposes of this section, a peace officer may reasonably believe that a child has run away from home when the child refuses to give his or her name or the name and address of a parent or other person legally responsible for the care of the child or when the peace officer has reason to doubt that the name and address given by the child are the actual name and address of the parent or other person legally responsible for the care of the child. A peace officer or court employee is authorized by the court to take a child who has run away from home or who, in the reasonable belief of the peace officer, appears to have run away from home, to a facility designated by administrative order of the court for such purposes if the peace officer or court employee is unable to or has determined that it is unsafe to return the child to the home of the child or to the custody of his or her parent or other person legally responsible for the care of the child. Any such facility receiving a child shall inform a parent or other person responsible for the care of the child;
3. Pursuant to an order of the district court issued on the application of the office of the district attorney. The application presented by the district attorney shall be supported by a sworn affidavit which may be based upon information and belief. The application shall state facts sufficient to demonstrate to the court that there is probable cause to believe the child has committed a crime or is in violation of the terms of probation, parole or order of the court;
4. By order of the district court pursuant to subsection F of this section when the child is in need of medical or behavioral health treatment or other action in order to protect the health or welfare of the child and the parent, legal guardian, legal custodian or other person having custody or control of the child is unwilling or unavailable to consent to such medical or behavioral health treatment or other action; and
5. Pursuant to an emergency ex parte or a final protective order of the district court issued at the request of a parent or legal guardian pursuant to the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act.
Any child referred to in this subsection shall not be considered to be in the custody of the Office of Juvenile Affairs.
B. Whenever a child is taken into custody as a delinquent child, the child shall be detained, held temporarily in the custodial care of a peace officer or other person employed by a police department, or be released to the custody of the parent of the child, legal guardian, legal custodian, attorney or other responsible adult, upon the written promise of such person to bring the child to the court at the time fixed if a petition is to be filed and to assume responsibility for costs for damages caused by the child if the child commits any delinquent acts after being released regardless of whether or not a petition is to be filed. It shall be a misdemeanor for any person to sign the written promise and then fail to comply with the terms of the promise. Any person convicted of violating the terms of the written promise shall be subject to imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months or a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. In addition, if a parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, attorney or other responsible adult is notified that the child has been taken into custody, it shall be a misdemeanor for such person to refuse to assume custody of the child within a timely manner. If detained, the child shall be taken immediately before a judge of the district court in the county in which the child is sought to be detained, or to the place of detention or a children's emergency resource center or host home designated by the court. If no judge be available locally, the person having the child in custody shall immediately report the detention of the child to the presiding judge of the judicial administrative district, provided that the child shall not be detained in custody beyond the next judicial day or for good cause shown due to problems of arranging for and transporting the child to and from a secure juvenile detention center, beyond the second judicial day unless the court shall so order after a detention hearing to determine if there exists probable cause to detain the child. The child shall be present at the detention hearing or the image of the child may be broadcast to the judge by closed-circuit television or any other electronic means that provides for a two-way communication of image and sound between the child and the judge. If the latter judge cannot be reached, such detention shall be reported immediately to any judge regularly serving within the judicial administrative district. If detained, a reasonable bond for release shall be set. Pending further disposition of the case, a child whose custody has been assumed by the court may be released to the custody of a parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other responsible adult or to any other person appointed by the court, or be detained pursuant to Chapter 3 of the Oklahoma Juvenile Code in such place as shall be designated by the court, subject to further order.
C. When a child is taken into custody as a child in need of supervision, the child shall be detained and held temporarily in the custodial care of a peace officer or placed within a community intervention center as defined in subsection D of Section 2-7-305 of this title, a children's emergency resource center or host home, or be released to the custody of the parent of the child, legal guardian, legal custodian, attorney or other responsible adult, upon the written promise of such person to bring the child to court at the time fixed if a petition is to be filed. A child who is alleged or adjudicated to be in need of supervision shall not be detained in any jail, lockup, or other place used for adults convicted of a crime or under arrest and charged with a crime.
D. When any child is taken into custody pursuant to this title and it reasonably appears to the peace officer, employee of the court or person acting pursuant to court order that the child is in need of medical treatment to preserve the health of the child, any peace officer, any employee of the court or person acting pursuant to court order shall have the authority to authorize medical examination and medical treatment for any child found to be in need of medical treatment as diagnosed by a competent medical authority in the absence of the parent of the child, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person having custody and control of the child who is competent to authorize medical treatment. The officer or the employee of the court or person acting pursuant to court order shall authorize said medical treatment only after exercising due diligence to locate the parent of the child, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person legally competent to authorize said medical treatment. The parent of the child, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person having custody and control shall be responsible for such medical expenses as ordered by the court. No peace officer, any employee of the court or person acting pursuant to court order authorizing such treatment in accordance with the provisions of this section for any child found in need of such medical treatment shall have any liability, civil or criminal, for giving such authorization.
E. A child who has been taken into custody as otherwise provided by this Code who appears to be a minor in need of treatment, as defined by the Inpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment of Minors Act, may be admitted to a behavioral health treatment facility in accordance with the provisions of the Inpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment of Minors Act. The parent of the child, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person having custody and control shall be responsible for such behavioral health expenses as ordered by the court. No peace officer, any employee of the court or person acting pursuant to court order authorizing such treatment in accordance with the provisions of this section for any child found in need of such behavioral health evaluation or treatment shall have any liability, civil or criminal, for giving such authorization.
F. 1. A child may be taken into custody pursuant to an order of the court specifying that the child is in need of medical treatment or other action to protect the health or welfare of the child and the parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other responsible adult having custody or control of a child is unwilling or unavailable to consent to such medical treatment or other action.
2. If the child is in need of immediate medical treatment or other action to protect the health or welfare of the child, the court may issue an emergency ex parte order upon application of the district attorney of the county in which the child is located. The application for an ex parte order may be verbal or in writing and shall be supported by facts sufficient to demonstrate to the court that there is reasonable cause to believe that the child is in need of immediate medical treatment or other action to protect the health or welfare of the child. The emergency ex parte order shall be in effect until a full hearing is conducted. A copy of the application, notice for full hearing and a copy of any ex parte order issued by the court shall be served upon such parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other responsible adult having custody or control of the child. Within twenty-four (24) hours of the filing of the application the court shall schedule a full hearing on the application, regardless of whether an emergency ex parte order had been issued or denied.
3. Except as otherwise provided by paragraph 2 of this subsection, whenever a child is in need of medical treatment to protect the health or welfare of the child, or whenever any other action is necessary to protect the health or welfare of the child, and the parent of the child, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person having custody or control of the child is unwilling or unavailable to consent to such medical treatment or other action, the court, upon application of the district attorney of the county in which the child is located, shall hold a full hearing within five (5) days of filing the application. Notice of the hearing and a copy of the application shall be served upon the parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person having custody or control of the child.
4. At any hearing held pursuant to this subsection, the court may grant any order or require such medical treatment or other action as is necessary to protect the health or welfare of the child.
5.
a.
The parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, or other person having custody or control of the child shall be responsible for such medical expenses as ordered by the court.
b.
No peace officer, any employee of the court or person acting pursuant to court order authorizing such treatment in accordance with the provisions of this subsection for any child found in need of such medical treatment shall have any liability, civil or criminal.
G. As a part of the intake process, an employee of the Office of Juvenile Affairs or a county juvenile bureau shall inquire as to whether there is any American Indian lineage or ancestry that would make the child eligible for membership or citizenship in a federally recognized American Indian tribe or nation. If the employee of the Office of Juvenile Affairs or a county juvenile bureau determines that the child may have American Indian lineage or ancestry, the employee shall notify the primary tribe or nation of membership or citizenship within three (3) judicial days of completing an intake of such determination. Any information or records related to taking the child into custody shall be confidential, shall not be open to the general public, and shall not be inspected or their contents disclosed.
Added by Laws 1995, c. 352, § 114, eff. July 1, 1995. Amended by Laws 1996, c. 247, § 18, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1997, c. 293, § 15, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 268, § 5, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 2000, c. 177, § 5, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2002, c. 327, § 24, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2009, c. 234, § 40, emerg. eff. May 21, 2009. Renumbered from § 7303-1.1 of Title 10 by Laws 2009, c. 234, § 178, emerg. eff. May 21, 2009. Amended by Laws 2013, c. 404, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2015, c. 261, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2015; Laws 2017, c. 254, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2017.