2A:4A-74 Court intake service conference.

5. Court intake service conference. a. Where the juvenile is diverted to a court intake service conference, notices of the conference shall be sent to the juvenile and his parents or guardian and to the complainant or victim. The parties may be requested to bring to the conference all pertinent documents in their possession, including medical, social, and school records.

b. In determining the appropriate resolution of a complaint, the following factors shall be considered by court intake services:

(1) The seriousness of the alleged offense or conduct and the circumstances in which it occurred;

(2) The age and maturity of the juvenile;

(3) The risk that the juvenile presents as a substantial danger to others;

(4) The family circumstances, including any history of drugs, alcohol abuse or child abuse on the part of the juvenile, his parents or guardian;

(5) The nature and number of contacts with court intake services and the court that the juvenile and his family have had;

(6) The outcome of those contacts, including the services to which the juvenile or family have been referred and the results of those referrals;

(7) The availability of appropriate services;

(8) Any recommendations expressed by the victim or complainant, or arresting officer, as to how the case should be disposed;

(9) Whether diversion can be accomplished in a manner that holds the juvenile accountable for the conduct;

(10) The impact of the offense on the victim or victims;

(11) The impact of the offense on the community; and

(12) Any information relevant to the offense in any case where the juvenile is charged with an act which if committed by an adult would constitute prostitution in violation of N.J.S.2C:34-1 or any offense which the juvenile alleges is related to the juvenile being a victim of human trafficking.

c. Each juvenile shall be reviewed without a presumption of guilt. The intake conference shall be concerned primarily with providing balanced attention to the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed, fostering interaction and dialogue between the offender, victim and community and the development of competencies to enable the juvenile offender to become a responsible and productive member of the community. In addition, the conference shall be concerned with preventing more serious future misconduct by the juvenile offender by obtaining the cooperation of the juvenile and his parents or guardian in complying with its recommendations. The court may schedule a hearing where the complainant or victim objects to the recommendations from the conference.

d. The resolution from the conference may include but shall not be limited to counseling, restitution, referral to appropriate community agencies, or any other community work programs or other conditions consistent with diversion that aids in providing balanced attention to the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed, fostering interaction and dialogue between the offender, victim and community and the development of competencies to enable the juvenile offender to become a responsible and productive member of the community, provided that:

(1) Obligations imposed as a result of the intake conference shall be an order of the court approved by the presiding judge and shall be set forth in writing and may not exceed six months. The juvenile and his or her parents or guardian shall receive copies, as shall any agencies providing services under the agreement;

(2) The court intake service worker shall inform the juvenile and the juvenile's parents or guardian in writing of their right to object at any time prior to their written agreement to the facts or terms of the intake conference decision, and if objections arise, the intake service worker may alter the terms of the proposed agreement or refer the matter to the presiding judge who shall determine if the complaint will be heard in court or returned to intake conference for further action;

(3) Written agreement pursuant to intake conferences may be terminated at any time upon the request of the juvenile and the matter referred to the presiding judge;

(4) The court intake services conference may not order the confinement of a juvenile, place a juvenile on probation, or remove a juvenile from his family as a disposition; and

(5) If, at any time during the diversion period, the court intake service worker determines that the obligations imposed under the written agreement are not being met, the intake worker shall notify the presiding judge in writing. In the case of failure to comply with the obligations imposed under the agreement by the parents or guardian, the court may proceed against such persons for enforcement of the agreement. In the case of failure to comply by the juvenile, the matter shall be referred to the court for action.

e. At the end of the diversion period a second court intake services conference may be held with all parties to the written agreement present to ascertain if the terms of the agreement have been fulfilled. If all conditions have been met, the intake worker shall so inform the presiding judge in writing who shall order the complaint dismissed. A copy of the order dismissing the complaint shall be sent to the juvenile. If the conditions of the written agreement have not been met, the intake worker may refer the matter to the presiding judge who shall determine if the complaint will be heard in court or returned to court intake services for further action. Based on the evaluations required under this subsection, the intake conference agreement may be extended beyond the six-month maximum if all parties agree. In no case shall an intake conference agreement exceed nine months.

f. All proceedings before the conference are confidential and they shall receive only those records which in the court's judgment are necessary to aid in making a recommendation.

L.1982, c.81, s.5; amended 1995, c.280, s.16; 2001, c.408, s.5; 2011, c.195, s.5.