Art. 881 Evidence

When a court holds a hearing to decide if a child committed a delinquent act, the same evidence rules used in adult criminal trials apply. This means the same standards for what can and can't be used as proof apply, just like they would in a regular criminal case against an adult.

The child in the case cannot be forced to take the stand and testify against themselves. This protects the child's right to stay silent, similar to the protection adults have in criminal court.

Also, if evidence was collected in a way that broke the child's constitutional rights, either under the U.S. Constitution or Louisiana's own constitution, that evidence cannot be used in court if the child's side objects to it. This stops the state from using improperly gathered evidence, such as items taken during an illegal search, to prove the child did something wrong.