                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

WHEN AND HOW CHILD MAY BE TAKEN INTO IMMEDIATE CUSTODY (§ 16.1-246)

No child may be taken into immediate custody except:

A. With a detention order issued by the judge, the intake officer or the clerk,
when authorized by the judge, of the juvenile and domestic relations district
court in accordance with the provisions of this law or with a warrant issued by
a magistrate; or

B. When a child is alleged to be in need of services or supervision and (i)
there is a clear and substantial danger to the child&#8217;s life or health or
(ii) the assumption of custody is necessary to ensure the child&#8217;s
appearance before the court; or

C. When, in the presence of the officer who makes the arrest, a child has
committed an act designated a crime under the law of this Commonwealth, or an
ordinance of any city, county, town or service district, or under federal law
and the officer believes that such is necessary for the protection of the public
interest; or

C1. When a child has committed a misdemeanor offense involving (i) shoplifting
in violation of &#xA7; 18.2-103, (ii) assault and battery or (iii) carrying a
weapon on school property in violation of &#xA7; 18.2-308.1 and, although the
offense was not committed in the presence of the officer who makes the arrest,
the arrest is based on probable cause on reasonable complaint of a person who
observed the alleged offense; or

D. When there is probable cause to believe that a child has committed an offense
which if committed by an adult would be a felony; or

E. When a law-enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a person
committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice as a child has run away or that
a child has escaped from a jail or detention home; or

F. When a law-enforcement officer has probable cause to believe a child has run
away from a residential, child-caring facility or home in which he had been
placed by the court, the local department of social services or a licensed child
welfare agency; or

G. When a law-enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a child (i)
has run away from home or (ii) is without adult supervision at such hours of the
night and under such circumstances that the law-enforcement officer reasonably
concludes that there is a clear and substantial danger to the child&#8217;s
welfare; or

H. When a child is believed to be in need of inpatient treatment for mental
illness as provided in &#xA7; 16.1-340.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 16.1-194; 1956, c. 555; 1958, c. 344; 1974, cc. 585, 671;
1977, c. 559; 1978, cc. 643, 740; 1979, c. 701; 1981, c. 487; 1982, c. 683;
1985, c. 540; 1990, cc. 635, 642, 743, 744, 975; 2002, c. 747.