Rule 127.01 When Juvenile May be Taken Into Judicial Custody

A juvenile can be taken into custody in three ways. A judge can order it. A law enforcement officer can take the juvenile into custody using the same rules that apply when arresting an adult. Or a juvenile officer can take the juvenile into custody if the law allows it in that situation.

Even though the process may look similar to an arrest, the law does not call it an arrest. This matters because juvenile cases are handled differently than adult criminal cases, and the court wants to keep that distinction clear.

Once a juvenile is taken into custody, the court's authority over the case starts right away. This means the juvenile court now has control over what happens next, including decisions about where the juvenile will stay and what steps come next in the case.