Rule 1612 Review of Out-of-Home Placement in Juvenile Delinquency

(a) General Rule. If a court under the Juvenile Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § § 6301 et seq., enters an order after an adjudication of delinquency of a juvenile pursuant to Pa.R.J.C.P. 409(A)(2) and 515, which places the juvenile in an out-of-home overnight placement in any agency or institution that shall provide care, treatment, supervision, or rehabilitation of the juvenile, the juvenile may file a petition for specialized review. The petition shall be filed within ten days of the order.

(b) Content.

(1) A petition for specialized review under subdivision (a) shall contain:

(i) a specific description of any determinations made by the juvenile court;

(ii) the matters complained of;

(iii) a concise statement of the reasons why the juvenile court abused its discretion in ordering the out-of-home placement;

(iv) the proposed terms and conditions of an alternative disposition for the juvenile;

(v) a request that the official court reporter for the juvenile court transcribe the notes of testimony as required by subdivision (g); and

(vi) the certificate of compliance required by Pa.R.A.P. 127.

(2) Any order(s) and opinion(s) relating to the out-of-home placement and the transcript of the juvenile court’s findings shall be attached as appendices.

(3) The petition shall be supported by a certificate of counsel to the effect that it is presented in good faith and not for delay.

(c) Scope of Review.

(1) The reviewing court shall not consider any challenge to the juvenile court’s selection of a specific agency or specific institution as the site of the out-of-home placement and instead may consider only a challenge to the fact that the placement is out-of-home.

(2) The reviewing court shall not consider any challenge to the underlying adjudication of delinquency.

(d) Response. Any response shall be filed within ten days of service of the petition, and no other pleading is authorized.

(e) Service. A copy of the petition for specialized review and any answer thereto shall be served on the judge of the juvenile court and the official court reporter for the juvenile court. All parties in the juvenile court shall be served in accordance with Pa.R.A.P. 121.

(f) Opinion of Juvenile Court. Upon receipt of a copy of a petition for specialized review under subdivision (a), if the judge who made the disposition of the out-of-home placement did not state the reasons for such placement on the record at the time of disposition pursuant to Pa.R.J.C.P. 512(D), the judge shall file of record a brief statement of the reasons for the determination or where in the record such reasons may be found, within five days of service of the petition for specialized review.

(g) Transcription of Notes of Testimony. Upon receipt of a copy of a petition for specialized review under subdivision (a), the court reporter shall transcribe the notes of testimony and deliver the transcript to the juvenile court within five business days. If the transcript is not prepared and delivered in a timely fashion, the juvenile court shall order the court reporter to transcribe the notes and deliver the notes to the juvenile court, and may impose sanctions for violation of such an order. If a waiver of fees and costs has been granted, the juvenile shall not be charged for the cost of the transcript.

(h) Non-Waiver of Objection to Placement. A failure to seek review under this rule of the out-of-home placement shall not constitute a waiver of the juvenile’s right to seek review of the placement in a notice of appeal filed by the juvenile from a disposition after an adjudication of delinquency.