Art. 820 Grounds for continued custody prior to adjudication

If your child is facing a continued custody hearing, the court has to check whether there's enough evidence to keep holding them. At this hearing, the state has to show "probable cause," which means they need to convince the judge there's a good reason to believe the child either broke the law or violated the terms of their probation or release.

This is not a full trial. The state doesn't have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at this point. They just have to show the judge there's a reasonable basis to believe the child did something wrong. If the state can't meet this lower bar of proof, the child should not stay in custody.

This hearing acts as an early check on the system. It stops the state from holding a child for a long time without showing any real evidence against them. It gives families a chance to hear the basic reasons behind the custody decision early in the case, before things move forward toward a full hearing on the actual charges.