Arizona Laws 8-303. Taking into temporary custody; interference; release; separate custody; violation; classification
A. Except as provided in section 8-305, a juvenile taken into temporary custody shall not be detained in a police station, jail or lockup where adults charged with or convicted of a crime are detained.
Attorney's Note
Under the Arizona Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 misdemeanor | up to 4 months | up to $750 |
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 8-303
- Adult: means a person who is eighteen years of age or older. See Arizona Laws 8-201
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Custodian: means a person, other than a parent or legal guardian, who stands in loco parentis to the child or a person to whom legal custody of the child has been given by order of the juvenile court. See Arizona Laws 8-201
- Delinquent act: means an act by a juvenile that if committed by an adult would be a criminal offense or a petty offense, a violation of any law of this state, or of another state if the act occurred in that state, or a law of the United States, or a violation of any law that can only be violated by a minor and that has been designated as a delinquent offense, or any ordinance of a city, county or political subdivision of this state defining crime. See Arizona Laws 8-201
- Department: means the department of child safety. See Arizona Laws 8-201
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Juvenile court: means the juvenile division of the superior court when exercising its jurisdiction over children in any proceeding relating to delinquency, dependency or incorrigibility. See Arizona Laws 8-201
- Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
B. A child shall be taken into temporary custody:
1. Pursuant to an order of the juvenile court.
2. Pursuant to a warrant issued according to the laws of arrest.
C. A juvenile may be taken into temporary custody:
1. By a peace officer pursuant to the laws of arrest, without a warrant, if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the juvenile has committed a delinquent act or the child is incorrigible.
2. By a peace officer if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the child has run away from the child’s parents, guardian or other custodian.
3. By a private person as provided by section 13-3884.
D. A peace officer shall take a juvenile into temporary custody pursuant to the laws of arrest, with or without a warrant, when there are reasonable grounds to believe that either:
1. The juvenile has committed a criminal act or a delinquent act which if committed by an adult could be a felony or breach of the peace.
2. The juvenile has been apprehended in commission of a criminal act or a delinquent act, which if committed by an adult would be a felony, or in fresh pursuit.
E. A peace officer who takes a juvenile into temporary custody pursuant to subsection D of this section shall advise the juvenile before questioning of the juvenile’s juvenile miranda rights in language that is comprehensible to a juvenile and, as soon as is practicable, shall make a good faith effort to notify the juvenile’s parents, guardian or custodian of the juvenile’s custody, unless doing so would pose a risk to the juvenile. After making the custody notification, a peace officer shall also advise the juvenile’s parents, guardian or custodian of the juvenile’s juvenile miranda rights. If a juvenile is a ward of the state, a peace officer shall notify the department of child safety, which shall notify the applicable public defender, any guardian ad litem or a court appointed special advocate of the juvenile’s custody.
F. A juvenile who is taken into temporary custody pursuant to subsection D of this section may be released from temporary custody only to the parents, guardian or custodian of the juvenile or to the juvenile court.
G. A person who knowingly interferes with the taking of a juvenile into temporary custody under the provisions of this section is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
H. In determining if a child should be taken into custody under subsection C of this section, the peace officer or child safety worker may consider as a mitigating factor the participation of the parent, guardian or custodian in the healthy families program established by section 8-481.