                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DUTIES OF PERSON TAKING CHILD INTO CUSTODY (§ 16.1-247)

A. A person taking a child into custody pursuant to the provisions of subsection
A of &#xA7; 16.1-246, during such hours as the court is open, shall, with all
practicable speed, and in accordance with the provisions of this law and the
orders of court pursuant thereto, bring the child to the judge or intake officer
of the court and the judge, intake officer or arresting officer shall, in the
most expeditious manner practicable, give notice of the action taken, together
with a statement of the reasons for taking the child into custody, orally or in
writing to the child&#8217;s parent, guardian, legal custodian or other person
standing in loco parentis.

B. A person taking a child into custody pursuant to the provisions of subsection
B, C, or D of § 16.1-246, during such hours as the court is open, shall, with
all practicable speed, and in accordance with the provisions of this law and the
orders of court pursuant thereto:

   1. Release the child to such child&#8217;s parents, guardian, custodian or
   other suitable person able and willing to provide supervision and care for
   such child and issue oral counsel and warning as may be appropriate; or

   2. Release the child to such child&#8217;s parents, guardian, legal custodian
   or other person standing in loco parentis upon their promise to bring the
   child before the court when requested; or

   3. If not released, bring the child to the judge or intake officer of the
   court and, in the most expeditious manner practicable, give notice of the
   action taken, together with a statement of the reasons for taking the child
   into custody, in writing to the judge or intake officer, and the judge, intake
   officer or arresting officer shall give notice of the action taken orally or
   in writing to the child&#8217;s parent, guardian, legal custodian or other
   person standing in loco parentis. Nothing herein shall prevent the child from
   being held for the purpose of administering a blood or breath test to
   determine the alcoholic content of his blood where the child has been taken
   into custody pursuant to &#xA7; 18.2-266.

C. A person taking a child into custody pursuant to the provisions of
subsections E and F of § 16.1-246, during such hours as the court is open,
shall, with all practicable speed and in accordance with the provisions of this
law and the orders of court pursuant thereto:

   1. Release the child to the institution, facility or home from which he ran
   away or escaped; or

   2. If not released, bring the child to the judge or intake officer of the
   court and, in the most expeditious manner practicable, give notice of the
   action taken, together with a statement of the reasons for taking the child
   into custody, in writing to the judge or intake officer, and the judge, intake
   officer or arresting officer shall give notice of the action taken orally or
   in writing to the institution, facility or home in which the child had been
   placed and orally or in writing to the child&#8217;s parent, guardian, legal
   custodian or other person standing in loco parentis.

D. A person taking a child into custody pursuant to the provisions of subsection
A of § 16.1-246, during such hours as the court is not open, shall with all
practicable speed and in accordance with the provisions of this law and the
orders of court pursuant thereto:

   1. Release the child taken into custody pursuant to a warrant on bail or
   recognizance pursuant to Chapter 9 (&#xA7; 19.2-119 et seq.) of Title 19.2; or

   2. Place the child in a detention home or in shelter care; or

   3. Place the child in a jail subject to the provisions of &#xA7; 16.1-249.

E. A person taking a child into custody pursuant to the provisions of subsection
B, C, or D of § 16.1-246 during such hours as the court is not open, shall:

   1. Release the child pursuant to the provisions of subdivision B 1 or B 2 of
   this section; or

   2. Release the child on bail or recognizance pursuant to Chapter 9 (&#xA7;
   19.2-119 et seq.) of Title 19.2; or

   3. Place the child taken into custody pursuant to subsection B of &#xA7;
   16.1-246 in shelter care after the issuance of a detention order pursuant to
   &#xA7; 16.1-255; or

   4. Place the child taken into custody pursuant to subsection C or D of &#xA7;
   16.1-246 in shelter care or in a detention home after the issuance of a
   warrant by a magistrate; or

   5. Place the child in a jail subject to the provisions of &#xA7; 16.1-249
   after the issuance of a warrant by a magistrate or after the issuance of a
   detention order pursuant to &#xA7; 16.1-255; or

   6. In addition to any other provisions of this subsection, detain the child
   for a reasonably necessary period of time in order to administer a breath or
   blood test to determine the alcohol content of his blood, if such child was
   taken into custody pursuant to &#xA7; 18.2-266.

F. A person taking a child into custody pursuant to the provisions of subsection
E of § 16.1-246, during such hours as the court is not open, shall:

   1. Release the child to the institution or facility from which he ran away or
   escaped; or

   2. Detain the child in a detention home or in a jail subject to the provisions
   of &#xA7; 16.1-249 after the issuance of a warrant by a magistrate or after
   the issuance of a detention order pursuant to &#xA7; 16.1-255.

G. A person taking a child into custody pursuant to the provisions of subsection
F of § 16.1-246, during such hours as the court is not open, shall:

   1. Release the child to the facility or home from which he ran away; or

   2. Detain the child in shelter care after the issuance of a detention order
   pursuant to &#xA7; 16.1-255 or after the issuance of a warrant by a
   magistrate.

H. If a parent, guardian or other custodian fails, when requested, to bring the
child before the court as provided in subdivisions B 2 and E 1, the court may
issue a detention order directing that the child be taken into custody and be
brought before the court.

I. A law-enforcement officer taking a child into custody pursuant to the
provisions of subsection G of § 16.1-246 shall notify the intake officer of the
juvenile court of the action taken. The intake officer shall determine if the
child&#8217;s conduct or situation is within the jurisdiction of the court and
if a petition should be filed on behalf of the child. If the intake officer
determines that a petition should not be filed, the law-enforcement officer
shall as soon as practicable:

   1. Return the child to his home;

   2. Release the child to such child&#8217;s parents, guardian, legal custodian
   or other person standing in loco parentis;

   3. Place the child in shelter care for a period not longer than 24 hours after
   the issuance of a detention order pursuant to &#xA7; 16.1-255; or

   4. Release the child.
   				During the period of detention authorized by this subsection no child
   shall be confined in any detention home, jail or other facility for the
   detention of adults.

J. If a child is taken into custody pursuant to the provisions of subsection B,
F, or G of &#xA7; 16.1-246 by a law-enforcement officer during such hours as the
court is not in session and the child is not released or transferred to a
facility or institution in accordance with subsection E, G, or I of this
section, the child shall be held in custody only so long as is reasonably
necessary to complete identification, investigation and processing. The child
shall be held under visual supervision in a nonlocked, multipurpose area which
is not designated for residential use. The child shall not be handcuffed or
otherwise secured to a stationary object.

K. When an adult is taken into custody pursuant to a warrant, detention order,
or capias alleging a delinquent act committed when he was a juvenile, he may be
released on bail or recognizance pursuant to Chapter 9 (&#xA7; 19.2-119 et seq.)
of Title 19.2. An intake officer shall have the authority to issue a capias for
an adult under the age of 21 who is alleged to have committed, before attaining
the age of 18, an offense that would be a crime if committed by an adult.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 16.1-197; 1956, c. 550; 1958, c. 344; 1973, c. 440; 1974,
c. 584; 1975, c. 248; 1977, c. 559; 1978, c. 643; 1979, c. 701; 1984, c. 567;
1992, cc. 728, 830; 2004, cc. 415, 439; 2012, c. 253; 2016, c. 626.