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New Orleans |
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Code of Ordinances |
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Chapter 102. OFFENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
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Article I. IN GENERAL |
§ 102-1. Juvenile warning notice and juvenile summons.
(a)
The purpose of this section is to provide officers of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) with guidelines and expectations regarding when and whether to take juveniles into custody, and when they shall issue a juvenile warning notice or juvenile summons only. When a law enforcement officer can lawfully take a juvenile into custody, based upon the officer's finding of probable cause or pursuant to an order of the court, the officer should, whenever possible, rely on the least restrictive and most reasonable alternative consistent with preserving public safety, order, and individual liberty. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit a police officer's ability to verbally warn a juvenile or otherwise address an offense without issuing a juvenile warning notice or juvenile summons, making a custodial arrest, detaining the juvenile, or undertaking any such formal intervention.
(b)
The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(1)
Custodial arrest means an arrest of a juvenile followed by transporting the person to juvenile booking.
(2)
Delinquent offense means an offense committed by a juvenile, which would also be a violation of the law if committed by an adult.
(3)
Guardian means a person currently designated by the court or by operation of law as being responsible for a child in the same manner as a parent.
(4)
Juvenile means one of the following:
(i)
Before July 1, 2018, juvenile means any person under the age of 21, including an emancipated minor, who is stopped on reasonable suspicion of committing a delinquent offense on or before June 30, 2018, where the person was under 17 years old at the time of the suspected offense.
(ii)
After June 30, 2018, juvenile means any person under the age of 21, including an emancipated minor, who is stopped on reasonable suspicion of committing a delinquent offense on or after July 1, 2018, when the act is not a crime of violence as defined in La. R.S. 14:2 and occurs before the person attains 18 years of age.
(iii)
After June 30, 2020, juvenile means any person under the age of 21, including an emancipated minor, who is stopped on reasonable suspicion of committing a delinquent offense on or after July 1, 2020, where the person was under 18 years old at the time of the suspected offense.
(5)
Juvenile summons means to counsel and release a juvenile to the care of his parent or guardian upon their written promise to bring the juvenile to court at such time as may be fixed by the court, pursuant to La. Ch. Code article 814(B)(1).
(6)
Juvenile warning notice means a verbal notice issued to a juvenile, following an officer's finding of probable cause, in lieu of taking the juvenile into custody and referring the juvenile for prosecution.
(7)
Status offense means an offense committed by a juvenile, which would not be a violation of the law if committed by an adult. Status offenses are provided in La. Ch. Code article 730.
(8)
Taking into custody means as provided in La. Ch. Code articles 812—815.
(c)
Status offenses:
(1)
Upon an officer's finding of probable cause, a juvenile shall not be taken into custody for a status offense, and instead shall be issued a juvenile warning notice and released as appropriate, including to his school, parent, guardian, or to the appropriate intervention center.
(d)
Delinquent offenses:
(1)
A juvenile who has not been arrested or received a juvenile warning notice for a delinquent offense in the prior 365 days shall be issued a juvenile warning notice when an officer finds probable cause for any of the following misdemeanor-grade delinquent offenses or attempts thereof, and shall be released as appropriate:
(i)
Criminal mischief;
(ii)
Criminal trespass;
(iii)
Disturbing the peace;
(iv)
Misdemeanor illegal possession of stolen things;
(v)
Misdemeanor obstruction of justice;
(vi)
Misdemeanor theft or theft of goods;
(vii)
Obstructing public passages;
(viii)
Simple assault;
(ix)
Simple battery; or
(x)
Simple possession of marijuana.
(2)
Officer discretion: When an officer finds probable cause for any of the enumerated offenses in subsection (d)(1), and the juvenile has previously been arrested or already received a juvenile warning notice for any delinquent offense in the prior 365 days, the officer may exercise his discretion to issue a juvenile warning notice or juvenile summons in lieu of custodial arrest.
(i)
In exercising the discretion afforded under this subsection, an officer shall not take into consideration the race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, economic status, or national origin of the juvenile.
(ii)
In exercising the discretion afforded under this subsection, an officer shall consider the best interest of the juvenile and the safety of the public.
(e)
Juvenile summons:
(1)
This subsection shall apply to the following violations:
(i)
Juveniles engaged in misdemeanor-grade delinquent offenses not enumerated in subsection (d)(1), upon an officer's finding of probable cause;
(ii)
Juveniles engaged in misdemeanor-grade delinquent offenses enumerated in subsection (d)(1), pursuant to subsection (d)(2); and
(iii)
Juveniles with outstanding warrants for misdemeanor-grade delinquent offenses, including but not limited to those offenses listed in subsection (d)(1), or for failure to appear, unless a judge has ordered that the juvenile be detained.
(2)
When citing a juvenile solely for one of the violations listed in subsection (e)(1), an officer shall issue a juvenile summons and may not make a custodial arrest, except when one of the following circumstances exists:
(i)
The juvenile's parent or guardian cannot be located, after reasonable efforts have been made;
(ii)
The juvenile's parent or guardian does not possess identification issued by any municipal, state, territorial, federal, or other governmental authority;
(iii)
The juvenile's parent or guardian makes a statement that indicates an intent to disregard the juvenile summons, or his parent or guardian refuses to sign the juvenile summons;
(iv)
The juvenile acts in a violent or destructive manner or makes a statement indicating that he intends to inflict injury to self or another or damage to property;
(v)
The juvenile is a habitual offender, defined as an individual with a criminal history of two or more felony convictions or five or more felony or misdemeanor arrests for any offense;
(vi)
The offense for which the officer stopped the juvenile is one involving weapons;
(vii)
The offense for which the officer stopped the juvenile is one involving domestic violence, pursuant to La. R.S. 14:35.3, and the officer deems that the child poses a threat to another household member or family member; or
(viii)
Based on the circumstances, an officer determines that it is absolutely necessary to make a custodial arrest.
(3)
When an officer determines that one of the factors enumerated in subsection (e)(2) applies, the officer may use his or her discretion to issue a juvenile summons instead of making a custodial arrest for a violation of subsection (e)(1).
(4)
This subsection shall become effective upon signing.
(f)
Record keeping:
(1)
When a juvenile warning notice or juvenile summons is issued to a juvenile, the issuing officer and the police department shall cause a record of the issuance of the juvenile warning notice or juvenile summons, along with the offense for which it was issued, to be recorded and to be retained in such a fashion as to be accessible to officers in the future.
(i)
When an officer issues a juvenile summons, the officer must document and report details of the incident in accordance with La. Ch. Code article 814(E) and (F). The officer must also secure a written promise from the child's parent or guardian to bring the child to court, pursuant to La. Ch. Code article 814(B)(1).
(2)
When an officer effectuates a custodial arrest in accordance with subsection (d)(2), the officer must document and report details of the incident, describing with specificity the circumstances necessitating custodial arrest, as provided in La. Ch. Code article 814(D) and (E).
(3)
When an officer effectuates a custodial arrest in accordance with subsection (e)(2), the officer shall appropriately document all information, including specifying the circumstances falling within subsection (e)(2), at the time of arrest in a form to be promulgated by the New Orleans Police Department.
(4)
The New Orleans Police Department shall prepare and submit quarterly reports to the Criminal Justice Committee of the City Council of New Orleans. Such reports shall include the following data from the preceding quarter:
(i)
The number of juvenile custodial arrests and reasons for those arrests;
(ii)
The number of unique juveniles under custodial arrest;
(iii)
The number of juvenile warning notices and reasons for those notices;
(iv)
The number of unique juveniles issued a juvenile warning notice;
(v)
The number of juvenile summonses and reasons for those juvenile summonses;
(vi)
The number of unique juveniles issued a juvenile summons;
(vii)
The number of juvenile custodial arrests made in instances where the juvenile was eligible to receive a juvenile warning notice, pursuant to subsection (d), and the reasons for those custodial arrests;
(viii)
The number of juvenile summonses issued in instances where the juvenile was eligible to receive a juvenile warning notice, pursuant to subsection (d), and the reasons for those juvenile summonses;
(ix)
The number of juvenile custodial arrests made in instances where the juvenile was eligible to receive a juvenile summons, pursuant to subsection (e), and the reasons for those custodial arrests; and
(x)
The number of juveniles under custodial arrest who previously received a juvenile warning notice or juvenile summons;
(5)
This subsection shall become effective upon signing.
(Code 1956, § 1-22; M.C.S., Ord. No. 27501, § 1, 8-24-17, eff. 1-1-18; M.C.S., Ord. No. 27643, § 1, 1-11-18; M.C.S., Ord. No. 27671, § 1, 2-8-18)