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Terms Used In Louisiana Children's Code 832

  • Child: means any person under the age of twenty-one, including an emancipated minor, who commits a delinquent act before attaining seventeen years of age. See Louisiana Children's Code 804
  • Mental incapacity to proceed: means that, as a result of mental illness or developmental disability, a child presently lacks the capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings against him or to assist in his defense. See Louisiana Children's Code 804

            A child‘s mental incapacity to proceed, as defined by this Title, may be raised at any time by the child, the district attorney, or the court. When the question of the child’s mental incapacity to proceed is raised, there shall be no further steps in the delinquency proceeding, except the filing of a delinquency petition, until counsel is appointed and notified in accordance with Article 809(C) and the child is found to have the mental capacity to proceed.

            Acts 1991, No. 235, §8, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 2004, No. 485, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2005.