8-302 - Juvenile Misdemeanors and Status Offenses – Over 10 Years of Age

Policy

Officers may issue a Hennepin County Juvenile Citation (tag) to juveniles over the age of 10 for non-traffic misdemeanors, petty misdemeanors and status offenses, except for incidents involving domestic assault or a violation of an Order for Protection (refer to P&P 8-201 Juvenile Gross Misdemeanor, Felony and Domestic Assault Arrest Procedures).

The juvenile shall be released to a parent or legal guardian. If the juvenile cannot be released to a parent or legal guardian, he/she shall be brought to the Juvenile Supervision Center.

If the juvenile is unable to be identified, officers may transport the suspect to the Juvenile Unit (during office hours), or the Crime Lab (when the Juvenile Unit is closed) to receive assistance with the identification. Officers should contact the Crime Lab prior to transporting the juvenile to ensure personnel are available.

For every Juvenile Citation issued, officers shall complete a corresponding CAPRS report including documentation of whom the juvenile was released to and the citation number. The court copy of the citation shall be forwarded to the Juvenile Unit.

Note: Citations are not routinely investigated; they are intended to be complete investigations and must contain all of the information necessary for prosecution and subpoena services.

• Investigation: A structured process of gathering, examining, and evaluating facts and evidence to determine what occurred, assess compliance with laws and policies, and support appropriate actions or decisions.
• Juvenile: An individual who is under the age of eighteen (18) years.
• Juvenile Unit: MPD Juvenile Unit primarily investigates Robbery, Assault, Domestic Assault and Missing Person cases in which the offender is at least 10 years old and under 18 years of age. Cases involving juvenile offenders less than 10 years of age will be investigated by the Juvenile Unit and referred to an appropriate agency for follow up. The Juvenile Unit also investigates school-related crimes. The Juvenile Unit provides identification and processing services, as well as short-term detention for arrested juveniles. During the hours of Juvenile Unit operation, juveniles arrested for any felony, gross misdemeanor or domestic assault shall be brought to the unit for processing. Staffing and workload permitting, Juvenile Unit investigators will transport juveniles to the appropriate destination after intake is completed. The Juvenile Unit maintains all Runaway and Missing Juvenile files and serves as the central repository for juvenile criminal history records. The Juvenile Unit also provides investigative support to other units with on-going investigations involving juvenile suspects.
• Parent/Legal Guardian: "Parent" means the birth or adoptive mother or father of a child and does not apply to a person whose parental rights have been terminated in relation to the child. A legal "guardian" is a person who has been appointed by a judge or social services agency, to take care of a minor child (to include foster parents).
• Subpoena: An official court order for an individual to appear in court. The Subpoena remains in effect until the case is over or the Issuing Authority excuses the individual under Subpoena.
• Violation of an Order for Protection: Violating any term of an Order for Protection issued by a judge or referee. The Offense code for violation of an Order for Protection is POVIOL.