Rule 27a Admissibility of statements given by a child

If police question a child in custody about a possible crime, they have to follow the specific steps laid out in Utah Code section 80-6-206. This law sets rules for how officers must handle these interviews to protect the child's rights.

If the child later says something during that questioning that the state wants to use in court, the state has to prove the child understood and gave up their rights on purpose. This means the state must show the child's waiver was knowing and voluntary, and that officers followed all the steps required by law. The state carries this responsibility, and they must prove it by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning it's more likely than not that the waiver was valid.

In simple terms, this rule protects kids during police questioning. It makes sure that before anything a child says can be used against them in court, the state must show the child truly understood their rights and chose to speak anyway, and that the police followed the correct legal process.