Art. 854 Appearance to answer petition; time

Here's what this rule means for a child and family involved in a juvenile case.

If a petition is filed against a child around the same time as the hearing that decides whether the child stays in custody, the court can have the child answer the petition right after that hearing ends. If the court doesn't do this, and the child stays in custody, the child must appear to answer the petition within five days of when the petition was filed.

If the child is not in custody, the timeline is longer. The child must appear to answer the petition within fifteen days of when it was filed.

The court can also give more time if there's a good reason. This means these deadlines aren't always final. If someone needs more time to prepare, the court has the power to extend them.