In re Amendments to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure

648 So. 2d 115, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 663, 1994 Fla. LEXIS 2093, 1994 WL 731839
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in In re Amendments to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure. Read the opinion of the Court — 17 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 709
Supreme Court of Florida·Decided December 22, 1994·No. No. 84336·Published

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

The Juvenile Rules Committee of The Florida Bar petitions this Court to amend and adopt changes to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure. We have jurisdiction pursuant to article V, section 15 of the Florida Constitution.

The Committee has proposed a new section to rule 8.090 (speedy trial), which implements proposed changes to rule 8.095 (procedure when child believed to be incompetent) which is currently before this Court, In Re Amendments to the Fla. Rules of Juvenile Procedure, No. 83,165; proposed new rule 8.227 (permanent mailing address), which implements changes passed by the legislature during the 1994 session to section 39.4057 of the Florida Statutes; and proposed an amendment to rule 8.415 (judicial review hearings), to implement additional 1994 legislative changes to sections 39.451, 39.452, and 39.453, of the Florida Statutes. The proposed amendments and the addition were unanimously endorsed by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar. We approve the amendments and the addition. Appended is the text of the amended portions of the rules. Underscoring indicates new language; strike-through type indicates deletions. The committee notes are included for explanation and guidance only and are not adopted as an official part of the rules. These rules shall take effect upon the release of this opinion.

It is so ordered.

GRIMES, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, KOGAN, HARDING, WELLS and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur.

APPENDIX

RULE 8.090 SPEEDY TRIAL

(a) Time. If a petition has been filed alleging a child to have committed a delinquent act, the child shall be brought to an adjudicatory hearing without demand within 90 days of the earlier of the following:

(1) The date the child was taken into custody.

(2) The date the petition was filed.

(b) Dismissal. If an adjudicatory hearing has not commenced within 90 days, upon motion timely filed with the court and served upon the prosecuting attorney, the respondent shall be entitled to the appropriate remedy as set forth in subdivision (j-k). The court before granting such motion shall make the required inquiry under subdivision (d).

(c) Commencement. A child shall be deemed to have been brought to trial if the adjudicatory hearing begins before the court within the time provided.

(d) Motion to Dismiss. If the adjudicatory hearing is not commenced within the periods of time established, the respondent shall be entitled to the appropriate remedy as set forth in subdivision (jk) unless any of the following situations exist:

(1) The child has voluntarily waived the right to speedy trial.

(2) An extension of time has been ordered under subdivision (@f).

(3) The failure to hold an adjudicatory hearing is attributable to the child, a corespondent in the same adjudicatory hearing, or their counsel.

(4) The child was unavailable for the adjudicatory hearing. A child is unavailable if:

(A) the child or the child’s counsel fails to attend a proceeding when their presence is required; or

(B) the child or the child’s counsel is not ready for the adjudicatory hearing on the date it is scheduled.

[116]*116No presumption of nonavailability attaches, but if the state objects to dismissal and presents any evidence tending to show nonavailability, the child must, by competent proof, establish availability during the term.

(5) The demand referred to in subdivision (fg) is invalid.

(6) If the court finds dismissal is not appropriate, the pending motion to dismiss shall be denied, and an adjudicatory hearing shall commence within 90 days of a written or recorded order of denial.

(e) Incompetency of Child. Upon the filing of a motion to declare the child incompetent, the speedy trial period shall be tolled until a subsequent finding of the court that the child is competent to proceed.

(ef) Extension of Time. The period of time established by subdivision (a) may be extended as follows:

(1) Upon stipulation, announced to the court or signed by the child or the child’s counsel and the state.

(2) By written or recorded order of the court on the court’s own motion or motion by either party in exceptional circumstances. The order extending the period shall recite the reasons for the extension and the length of the extension. Exceptional circumstances are those which require an extension as a matter of substantial justice to the child or the state or both. Such circumstances include:

(A) unexpected illness or unexpected incapacity or unforeseeable and unavoidable absence of a person whose presence or testimony is uniquely necessary for a full and adequate trial;

(B) a showing by the state that the case is so unusual and so complex, due to the number of respondents or the nature of the prosecution or otherwise, that it is unreasonable to expect adequate investigation or preparation within the periods of time established by this rule;

(C) a showing by the state that specific evidence or testimony is not available, despite diligent efforts to secure it, but will become available at a later time;

(D) a showing by the child or the state of necessity for delay grounded on developments which could not have been anticipated and which will materially affect the trial;

(E) a showing that a delay is necessary to accommodate a co-respondent, where there is a reason not to sever the cases in order to proceed promptly with trial of the respondent; or

(F) a showing by the state that the child has caused major delay or disruption of preparation or proceedings, such as by preventing the attendance of witnesses or otherwise. Exceptional circumstances shall not include general congestion of the court’s docket, lack of diligent preparation or failure to obtain available witnesses, or other avoidable or foreseeable delays.

(3)By written or recorded order of the court for a period of reasonable and necessary delay resulting from proceedings including, but not limited to, an examination and hearing to determine the mental competency or physical ability of the respondent to stand trial for hearings or pretrial motions, for appeals by the state, and for adjudicatory hearings of other pending charges against the child.

(fg) Speedy Trial Upon Demand. Except as otherwise provided by this rule and subject to the limitations imposed by subdivision (gh), the child shall have the right to demand a trial within 60 days, by written demand for speedy trial filed with the court and service upon the prosecuting attorney.

(1) No later than 5 days from the filing of a demand for speedy trial, the court shall set the matter for report, with notice to all parties, for the express purposes of announcing in open court receipt of the demand and of setting the case for trial.

(2) At the report the court shall set the case for trial to commence at a date no less than 5 days nor more than 45 days from the date of the report.

(3) The failure of the court to hold such a report date on a demand which has been properly filed shall not interrupt the running of any time periods under this subdivision (fg).

[117]

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In re Amendments to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, 648 So. 2d 115, 19 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 663, 1994 Fla. LEXIS 2093, 1994 WL 731839 (Fla. 1994).

648 So. 2d 115 (In re Amendments to the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.