Juveniles in Custody
What will happen if my minor child is detained by the Redondo Beach Police Department?
- Your minor child may be detained/arrested at a public place, business or residence and:
- An officer may request that you respond to the location to take custody of your minor child:
- An officer may counsel and release the child to you.
- An officer may release the child to you and submit a report for future adjudication at the juvenile court.
- An officer may issue a citation to your child as a promise to appear at the juvenile court.
- An officer may possibly issue a citation to you depending on the facts of the offense.
- An officer may take the child to the police department for booking and later release to you.
- An officer may take the child to the police department for booking and later to juvenile hall.
- If you cannot or will not respond to a location if requested, the officer may take your child to the police station to be booked (fingerprinted and photographed).
- Your minor child may be detained/arrested at the Redondo Beach Police Department
- You must respond to the police station if requested and take custody of the child within six hours of their arrival at the police station.
- If you or a responsible adult cannot or will not respond, your child may be taken to a Los Angeles County juvenile detention facility (juvenile hall).
- A minor who is charged with a felony offense, who has a criminal history, or who is on probation may be taken to juvenile hall and will not be released into your custody.
How may I speak with my minor child by telephone?
- When an officer takes a minor to a place of confinement, the officer must take immediate steps to notify the minor’s parent, guardian, or a responsible relative that the minor is in custody and where the minor is being held.
- No later than one hour after being taken into custody, the minor will be advised that he/she has the right to make at least two telephone calls.
- One call completed to:
- The minor’s parent or guardian
- The minor’s employer, and
- One call to an attorney
- The minor will be offered at least three telephone calls while in custody.
- The calls must be at the public’s expense if they are to local calling area numbers and in the presence of a public officer or employee.
Should I come to the police station immediately when the police department calls me about my child?
- You may come to the police station.
- Your child must be booked and processed. This includes:
- Completing booking forms
- Taking fingerprints
- Taking photos
- Documenting all personal information
- Awaiting the return of fingerprint identification
- You may be required to wait one to three hours until the Jail Staff finishes the process, and depending on the number of juveniles being booked.
- If your child is on probation, has serious open charges, or has a history of previous detentions, they may be required to go to juvenile hall.
How long will it take to finish my child's booking?
- A booking will usually take approximately forty-five minutes.
- Processing may take longer based on individual circumstances related to your child and relative to other activities in the jail.
- The Jail Staff prioritizes the booking of juveniles, but a booking could be delayed due to the number of concurrent arrests of adults and juveniles.
If I don’t come to the police station within six hours or if I refuse to take my child, is there a time limit that my child will be detained at the police station?
- Yes.
- Your child may not remain in the police station longer than six hours.
- The police department will make other arrangements for your child to leave the police station after four hours.
- The police department may attempt to find another responsible family member or guardian or make other arrangements.
- The police department may call the Department of Children and Family Services to take custody of your child.
- The police department may transfer your child to juvenile hall if they qualify for detention at that facility.
- DCFS will contact you at a later time, and you will be obligated to appear in court regarding the custody status of your child.
What if I am unable to come to the station? May I give permission for a friend or family member to go to the station to get my child for me?
- The Redondo Beach Police Department will release a minor child:
- To a parent
- To a guardian
- To a responsible relative or friend
- To anyone other than the parent or legal guardian with the approval of the Watch Sergeant
- With valid government photo identification
May I be charged money if my child is brought to the police station for booking and/or to juvenile hall for detention?
- Yes.
- You will be billed for booking fees at the Redondo Beach Police Department, if your child is booked.
- You may have to pay detention costs, if your child is sent to juvenile hall.
- Section 903 of the Welfare and Institutions Code states that the parent, spouse, or guardian, the estate of that person and the estate of the minor shall be liable for the reasonable costs of support of the minor placed in an institution pursuant to an order of the Juvenile Court. You may be charged by the County after the final disposition or sentencing by the Court of your child’s case.
Why did the Jail Staff write a citation to my child and another citation to me?
- Depending on the type of arrest and on the criminal history of the juvenile, a parent/guardian/responsible relative may be issued a citation in addition to the citation to the juvenile directing the parent/guardian/responsible relative to take the juvenile to court in accordance with 660.5 of the Welfare and Institutions code.
- If you do not appear in court as ordered by the citation, you may be issued a warrant and be subject to arrest for a misdemeanor.
My child has citations to two different courts on different cases. One citation is to the juvenile court in Inglewood; the other is to the juvenile court in Torrance. What is the difference?
- The Court Annex behind the main courthouse at 825 Maple Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503 is an Informal Juvenile and Traffic Court.
- The Inglewood Juvenile Courthouse, 110 East Regent St., Inglewood, CA 90301 is a Delinquency Court.
- The David V. Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center, 7625 South Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90001 is a Delinquency Court.
- The Juvenile Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court deals with cases that involve children under 18 years old.
- The three types of courts within the Juvenile Division are:
- Dependency Court
- Delinquency Court
- Informal Juvenile and Traffic Court
- Dependency Court cases involve the protection of children that have been or are at risk of being abused, neglected, or abandoned. The Department of Children and Family Services investigates allegations and is the petitioner on cases filed in the Dependency Court.
- Delinquency Court cases involve children who may have committed a delinquent act that would be criminal if committed by an adult. Other reasons for a Delinquency case can include habitual disobedience, truancy or a child being beyond the control of a parent.
- The Redondo Beach Police Department frequently cites juvenile offenders to two of the Los Angeles County Delinquency courts:
- The Inglewood Juvenile Courthouse
- The David V. Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center
- Informal Juvenile and Traffic Court hear traffic offenses and other status offenses such as loitering, curfew, evading fares, defacing property, and other minor offenses.
How do I find more information about the juvenile justice system process for delinquency court?
- See the Parents' Handbook below.
