§ 8-302 — Transfer between juvenile and criminal courts

A. If during the pendency of a criminal charge in any court of this state the court determines that the defendant is a juvenile who is not subject to prosecution as an adult pursuant to section 13-501, the court shall transfer the case to the juvenile court, together with all of the original accusatory pleadings and other papers, documents and transcripts of any testimony relating to the case. On transfer, the court shall order that the defendant be taken to a place of detention designated by the juvenile court or to that court itself or shall release the juvenile to the custody of the juvenile's parent or guardian or any other person legally responsible for the juvenile. If the juvenile is released to the juvenile's parent or guardian or any other person legally responsible for the juvenile, the court shall require that the parent, guardian or other person bring the juvenile to appear before the juvenile court at a designated time. The juvenile court shall then proceed with all further proceedings as if a petition alleging delinquency had been filed with the juvenile court under section 8-301 on the effective date of the transfer. This subsection does not apply to a juvenile who is subject to prosecution pursuant to section 13-501 but who is convicted of an offense not listed in section 13-501.

B. If during the pendency of a criminal charge in any court of this state the court determines that the defendant is a juvenile who is subject to prosecution as an adult pursuant to section 13-501, subsection B, on motion of the prosecutor the court shall transfer the case to the juvenile court, together with all of the original accusatory pleadings and other papers, documents and transcripts of any testimony relating to the case. On transfer, the court shall order that the juvenile be taken to a place of detention designated by the juvenile court or to that court itself or shall release the juvenile to the custody of the juvenile's parent or guardian or any other person legally responsible for the juvenile. If the juvenile is released to the juvenile's parent or guardian or any other person legally responsible for the juvenile, the court shall require that the parent, guardian or other person bring the juvenile to appear before the juvenile court at a designated time. The juvenile court shall then proceed with all further proceedings as if a petition alleging delinquency had been filed with the juvenile court under section 8-301 on the effective date of the transfer.

C. During the pendency of a delinquency action in any court of this state, on the motion of the prosecution and before the adjudication hearing, the court shall dismiss without prejudice any count in the petition charging an offense for which the juvenile is subject to prosecution as an adult pursuant to section 13-501 to allow criminal charges to be filed.

D. If a juvenile reaches eighteen years of age during the pendency of a delinquency action or before completion of the sentence in any court in this state for an act that if committed by an adult would be a misdemeanor or petty offense or a civil traffic violation, the court shall transfer the case to the appropriate criminal court, together with all of the original accusatory pleadings and other papers, documents and transcripts of any testimony relating to the case and any sentencing order. The appropriate criminal court shall then proceed with all further proceedings as if a uniform Arizona traffic ticket and complaint form or a complaint alleging a misdemeanor or petty offense or a civil traffic violation had been filed with the appropriate criminal court pursuant to section 13-3903 or the Arizona rules of criminal procedure, the rules of procedure in traffic cases or the rules of procedure in civil traffic violation cases.