Title 15

The court shall have jurisdiction to appoint a guardian of the person of any child in any proceeding authorized by this chapter. Any such appointment shall be made pursuant to the same requirements of notice and hearing as are provided for appointments of guardians of the persons…

(a) The court shall hold a hearing within 30 days of receipt of a case transferred from the probate court pursuant to subsection (f ) of Code Section 29-2-6 or subsection (b) of Code Section 29-2-8. (b) After notice and hearing, the court may make one of the following orders: (1)…

(a) In handling divorce, alimony, habeas corpus, or other cases involving the custody of a child, a superior court may transfer the question of the determination of custody, support, or custody and support to the juvenile court either for investigation and a report back to the su…

(a) A proceeding under this chapter may be commenced: (1) By an order of transfer of a case from another court as provided in Code Section 15-11-11 or 15-11-567, subsection (f ) of Code Section 29-2-6, or subsection (b) of Code Section 29-2-8; (2) By the summons, notice to appear…

(a) All hearings under this chapter shall be conducted by the court without a jury. Any hearing may be adjourned from time to time within the discretion of the court. (b) Except as otherwise provided, all hearings shall be conducted in accordance with Title 24. (c) Proceedings sh…

Upon application of a party, the court, or any authorized officer of the court, the clerk of the court shall issue subpoenas in accordance with the provisions of Title 24 requiring attendance and testimony of witnesses and production of evidence at any hearing under this chapter.…

(a) A party has the right to be present, to be heard, to present evidence material to the proceedings, to cross-examine witnesses, to examine pertinent court files and records, and to appeal the orders of the court; provided, however, that the court shall retain the discretion to …

State, 297 Ga. App. 228, 676 S.E.2d 871 (2009), cert. denied, No. S09C1300, 2009 Ga. LEXIS 406 (Ga. 2009) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-2). Carrying weapon on school grounds Class B felony. — Juvenile court erred by modifying the juvenile’s disposition after determining …

(a) At any time during a proceeding under this chapter, the court may refer a case to mediation. (b) When referring a case to mediation, the court shall take into consideration the guidelines from the Georgia Commission of Dispute Resolution for mediating cases involving domestic…

(a) Once an order referring a case to mediation has been signed, the court shall appoint a mediator from a list of court approved mediators who are registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution to mediate juvenile court cases. (b) The court shall appoint a qualified med…

(a) The parties shall sign and date a written agreement to mediate. The agreement to mediate shall identify the controversies between the parties, affirm the parties’ intent to resolve such controversies through mediation, and specify the circumstances under which mediation may c…

(a) Upon issuing a referral to mediation the court may stay the proceeding. (b) Mediation shall occur as soon as practicable and be scheduled within 30 days of the order referring the matter to mediation unless the time frame is extended by the court. (c) The court may extend the…

(a) Any party in a mediation may withdraw from or terminate further participation in mediation at any time. (b) A mediator shall terminate mediation when: (1) The mediator concludes that the participants are unable or unwilling to participate meaningfully in the process; (2) The …

(a) All mediation agreements shall be presented to the juvenile court judge for approval. (b) The mediation agreement shall be made an order of the court unless, after further hearing, the court determines by clear and convincing evidence that the agreement is not in the best int…

Whenever a best interests determination is required, the court shall consider and evaluate all of the factors affecting the best interests of the child in the context of such child’s age and developmental needs. Such factors shall include: (1) The physical safety and welfare of s…

During the pendency of any proceeding under this chapter, the court may order: (1) A child to be examined by outside parties or private providers at a suitable place by a physician or psychologist; provided, however, that orders to perform an evaluation shall not be imposed upon …

(a) No admission, confession, or incriminating information obtained from a child in the course of any screening that is undertaken in conjunction with proceedings under this chapter, including but not limited to court ordered screenings, shall be admitted into evidence in any adj…

(a) In any proceeding under this chapter, either on application of a party or on the court’s own motion, the court may make an order restraining or otherwise controlling the conduct of a person if due notice of the application or motion and the grounds therefor and an opportunity…

(a) In any proceeding involving a child in need of services or a delinquent child or when a case plan has been imposed under Code Sections 15-11-38 and 15-11-39, upon the application of the prosecuting attorney or a party to the plan under Code Sections 15-11-38 and 15-11-39, or …

Through direct calendaring, whenever possible, a single judge shall hear all successive cases or proceedings involving the same child or family. History. — Code 1981, § 15-11-3, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.

A legal custodian has the right to physical custody of a child, the right to determine the nature of the care and treatment of such child, including ordinary medical care, and the right and duty to provide for the care, protection, training, and education and the physical, mental…

(a) In addition to all other inherent powers of the court to enforce its lawful orders, the court may punish an adult for contempt of court by imprisonment for not more than 20 days or a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 for willfully disobeying an order of the court or for obstructing…

(a) An order of the court shall be set aside if: (1) It appears that it was obtained by fraud or mistake sufficient therefor in a civil action; (2) The court lacked jurisdiction over a necessary party or the subject matter; or (3) Newly discovered evidence so requires. (b) An ord…

(a) Whenever an order of disposition incorporates a reunification plan and the residence of the parent is not in the county of the court with jurisdiction or the residence of the parent changes to a county other than the county of the court with jurisdiction, the court may transfe…

Except as otherwise provided by Code Section 17-10-14, a child shall not be committed to an adult correctional facility or other facility used primarily for the execution of sentences of persons convicted of a crime. History. — Code 1981, § 15-11-34, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 29…

In all cases of final judgments of the juvenile court, appeals shall be taken to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court in the same manner as appeals from the superior court. However, no such judgment or order shall be superseded or modified except in the discretion of the trial…

(a) The following expenses shall be a charge upon the funds of the county upon certification thereof by the court: (1) The cost of medical and other examinations and treatment of a child ordered by the court; (2) The cost of care and support of a child committed by the court to th…

(a) The court may collect supervision fees from those who are placed under the court’s formal or informal supervision in order that the court may use those fees to expand the provision of the following types of ancillary services: (1) Housing in nonsecure residential facilities; …

(a) Any court may order the establishment of a community based risk reduction program, within the geographical jurisdiction of the court, for the purpose of utilizing available community resources in assessment and intervention in cases of delinquency, dependency, or children in …

(a) In any jurisdiction within which a risk reduction program has been established, when a child comes before the court for disposition, the court may order that a risk assessment or risk and needs assessment, as defined in Code Section 49-4A-1, be made of such child and the circu…

Where procedures are not provided in this chapter, the court shall proceed in accordance with: (1) Title 17 in a delinquency proceeding; and (2) Chapter 11 of Title 9 in all other matters. History. — Code 1981, § 15-11-4, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision contained in this chapter or in any rule or regulation adopted by any department, board, or agency of the state to the contrary, the court and any individual, public or private agency, or other entity participating in a community based risk reduc…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Code Section 15-11-710, entities governed by federal or state privacy laws may require the following before sharing confidential information: (1) For release of child abuse records by the department, a subpoena and subsequent order of the court …

(a) When a period of time measured in days, weeks, months, years, or other measurements of time is prescribed for the exercise of any privilege or the discharge of any duty, the first day shall not be counted but the last day shall be counted; and, if the last day falls on a weeke…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, a child attains a specified age the first second past midnight on the day of the anniversary of such child’s birth. (b) A child born on February 29 attains a specified age on March 1 of any year that is not a leap year. …

(a) The juvenile court shall have jurisdiction to act as a court of inquiry with all the powers and rights allowed courts of inquiry in this state and to examine or investigate into the circumstances or causes of any conduct or acts of any person 17 or more years of age that may …

The juvenile court is a court of record having a seal. The judge and the judge’s duly appointed representatives shall each have power to administer oaths and affirmations. History. — Code 1981, § 15-11-8, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.

The juvenile court judge, associate juvenile court judge, and judge pro tempore shall have authority to issue a warrant for the arrest of any child for an offense committed against the laws of this state, based either on personal knowledge or the information of others given under…

(a) There is created a juvenile court in every county in the state. (b) Except where election is provided by local law, the judge or a majority of the judges of the superior court in each circuit in the state may appoint one or more qualified persons as judge of the juvenile court…

(a) No person shall be judge of the juvenile court unless, at the time of his or her appointment, he or she has attained the age of 30 years, has been a citizen of this state for three years, is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, and has practiced law for five years. (b) A juve…

(a) Each appointed juvenile court judge shall serve for a term of four years. (b) The compensation of the full-time or part-time juvenile court judges shall be set by the superior court with the approval of the governing authority or governing authorities of the county or countie…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any full-time juvenile court judge to engage in any practice of law outside his or her role as a juvenile court judge. (b) It shall be unlawful for a part-time judge of any juvenile court to engage directly or indirectly in the practice of law in his …

(a) Each juvenile court shall be assigned and attached to the superior court of the county for administrative purposes. (b) The governing authority of the county of residence of each juvenile court judge shall offer the juvenile court judge insurance benefits and any other benefits…

(a) To the extent that the provisions of this article conflict with a local constitutional amendment authorizing the election of a juvenile court judge and with the provisions of a local Act authorized by such local constitutional amendment to provide for the term of office, vacan…

(a) No person who is serving as a full-time juvenile court judge shall at the same time hold the office of judge of any other class of court of this state. (b) No person serving as a juvenile court judge after being elected juvenile court judge pursuant to a local law authorized …

(a) Whenever a juvenile court judge is appointed it shall be the duty of the clerk of the superior court to forward to the Secretary of State and to the Council of Juvenile Court Judges a certified copy of the order of appointment. The order of appointment shall set out the name o…