2021 Florida Statutes
Title XLVII - Criminal Procedure and Corrections
Chapter 985 - Juvenile Justice; Interstate Compact on Juveniles
Part III - Custody and Intake; Intervention and Diversion (Ss. 985.101-985.175)
985.15 - Filing decisions.

(1) The state attorney may in all cases take action independent of the action or lack of action of the juvenile probation officer and shall determine the action that is in the best interest of the public and the child. If the child meets the criteria requiring prosecution as an adult under s. 985.556, the state attorney shall request the court to transfer and certify the child for prosecution as an adult or shall provide written reasons to the court for not making such a request. In all other cases, the state attorney may:

(a) File a petition for dependency;

(b) File a petition under chapter 984;

(c) File a petition for delinquency;

(d) File a petition for delinquency with a motion to transfer and certify the child for prosecution as an adult;

(e) File an information under s. 985.557;

(f) Refer the case to a grand jury;

(g) Refer the child to a diversionary, pretrial intervention, arbitration, or mediation program, or to some other treatment or care program if such program commitment is voluntarily accepted by the child or the child’s parents or legal guardian; or

(h) Decline to file.

(2) In cases in which a delinquency report, affidavit, or complaint is filed by a law enforcement agency and the state attorney determines not to file a petition, the state attorney shall advise the clerk of the circuit court in writing that no petition will be filed thereon.

History.—s. 25, ch. 2006-120; s. 150, ch. 2019-167.