§ 31-39-2-8 — Public access to records of juvenile delinquency proceedings

(a) The records of the juvenile court are
available without a court order to the public, subject to the restrictions
in subsections (b) and (c), whenever a petition has been filed alleging
that a child is delinquent as the result of any of the following alleged
acts or combination of alleged acts:
(1) An act that would be murder or a felony if committed by an
adult.
(2) An aggregate of two (2) unrelated acts that would be
misdemeanors if committed by an adult if the child was at least
twelve (12) years of age when the acts were committed.
(3) An aggregate of five (5) unrelated acts that would be
misdemeanors if committed by an adult if the child was less than
twelve (12) years of age when the acts were committed.
(b) Only the following information or documents may be released
under this section:
(1) The child's name.
(2) The child's age.
(3) The nature of the offense.
(4) Chronological case summaries.
(5) Index entries.
(6) Summonses.
(7) Warrants.
(8) Petitions.
(9) Orders.
(10) Motions, excluding:
(A) motions concerning psychological evaluations; and
(B) motions concerning child abuse and neglect.
(11) Decrees.
(12) If the child is adjudicated as a delinquent child for an act or
combination of acts described in subsection (a)(1), (a)(2), or
(a)(3), the child's photograph.
(c) The clerk of the juvenile court shall place all other records of the
child alleged to be or adjudicated as a delinquent child in an envelope
marked "confidential" inside the court's file pertaining to the child.
Records placed in the confidential envelope may only be released to
persons who are allowed disclosure under this section or section 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 of this chapter. The identifying information of any child
who is a victim or a witness shall remain confidential under this
section.
[Pre-1997 Recodification Citation: 31-6-8-1(b) part.]

Legislative History

As added by P.L.1-1997, SEC.22.