Art. 651 Preadjudication motions; time for filing; hearings

If you want to file a motion before a child's adjudication hearing (which is like a trial in juvenile court), you need to do it in writing at least 15 days before that hearing date. Courts understand that sometimes there isn't enough time, so a judge can give more time to file if fairness requires it, or even allow the request to be made out loud in court instead of on paper.

When you file this kind of motion, you have to clearly explain why you're asking and what you want the court to do. Vague requests aren't enough. You need to spell out your reasons and the specific outcome you're looking for.

Judges have some flexibility in deciding these motions. If it's obvious that the person asking is entitled to what they want, the judge can approve it right away without holding a hearing. But if the judge is thinking about saying no, they usually can't do that without giving the person a chance to argue their case first, unless the request would fail even if every fact in it were true.