Oregon Statutes 419A.257 – Reports and materials privileged; permissible disclosures; use of materials in evidence
(1) Reports and other materials relating to a child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth‘s history and prognosis that are created or maintained by or on behalf of the Oregon Youth Authority or the juvenile department are privileged and, except with the consent of the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth or with the authorization of the court, shall be withheld from public inspection.
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 419A.257
- Adjudicated youth: means a person who has been found to be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under ORS § 419C. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Counselor: means a juvenile department counselor or a county juvenile probation officer. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
- Court: means the juvenile court. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
- Court appointed special advocate: means a person in a CASA Volunteer Program who is appointed by the court to act as a court appointed special advocate pursuant to ORS § 419B. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
- Department: means the Department of Human Services. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Juvenile court: means the court having jurisdiction of juvenile matters in the several counties of this state. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
- Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Ward: means a person within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under ORS § 419B. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
- Youth: means a person under 18 years of age who is alleged to have committed an act that is a violation, or, if done by an adult would constitute a violation, of a law or ordinance of the United States or a state, county or city. See Oregon Statutes 419A.004
(2) The Oregon Youth Authority and the juvenile department may disclose and provide copies of reports and other materials relating to the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth’s history and prognosis, if the disclosure is reasonably necessary to perform official duties relating to the involvement of the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth with the juvenile court or the juvenile department, to the following:
(a) Each other;
(b) The court;
(c) Service providers in the case;
(d) School superintendents and their designees in cases under ORS § 419C.005;
(e) Attorneys of record for the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth;
(f) Attorneys representing a party in the case;
(g) The district attorney or assistant attorney general representing a party in the case;
(h) The Department of Human Services;
(i) The court appointed special advocate; and
(j) The Psychiatric Security Review Board.
(3)(a) The Oregon Youth Authority and county juvenile departments established under ORS § 419A.010 to 419A.020 may disclose and provide copies of reports and other materials relating to the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth’s history and prognosis to the Department of Corrections for the purpose of enabling the Department of Corrections to perform its official duties relating to the exercise of custody or supervision of a person committed to the legal and physical custody of the Department of Corrections.
(b) The Department of Corrections shall limit the use of reports and other materials disclosed and provided to the department under this section to reports and other materials that relate to the history and prognosis of a youth or adjudicated youth as these pertain to:
(A) A person who was transferred to the physical custody of the authority under ORS § 137.124 and is subsequently transferred to the physical custody of the Department of Corrections under ORS § 137.124 or 420.011 or any other statute; or
(B) A person committed to the legal and physical custody of the Department of Corrections while the person is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under ORS § 419C.005, including but not limited to a person in the legal custody of the authority.
(4) A person that obtains copies of reports or other materials under this section is responsible for preserving the confidentiality of the reports or other materials. A service provider, school superintendent or superintendent’s designee who obtains copies of reports or other materials under this section shall destroy the copies upon the conclusion of involvement in the case.
(5)(a) Information appearing in reports or other materials relating to the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth’s history or prognosis may not be disclosed directly or indirectly to any person not described in subsection (2) of this section unless the consent of the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth or the authorization of the court has been obtained, except for purposes of evaluating the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth’s eligibility for special education as provided in ORS Chapter 343.
(b) Information appearing in reports or other materials may not be used in evidence in any proceeding to establish criminal or civil liability against the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth, whether the proceeding occurs after the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth has reached 18 years of age or otherwise, except for the following purposes:
(A) In connection with a presentence investigation after guilt has been admitted or established in a criminal court.
(B) In connection with a proceeding in another juvenile court concerning the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth or an appeal from an order or judgment of the juvenile court.
(6)(a) Information contained in reports and other materials relating to a child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth’s history and prognosis that, in the professional judgment of the Oregon Youth Authority, juvenile department, juvenile counselor, caseworker, school superintendent or superintendent’s designee, teacher or detention worker to whom the information contained in the reports and other materials has been provided, indicates a clear and immediate danger to another person or to society, shall be disclosed to the appropriate authority and the person or entity that is in danger from the child, ward, youth or adjudicated youth.
(b) An agency or a person that discloses information under paragraph (a) of this subsection has immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed for making the disclosure.
(c) Nothing in this subsection affects the provisions of ORS § 146.750, 146.760, 419B.035, 419B.040 and 419B.045.
(7) The disclosure of information under this section does not make the information admissible in any court or administrative proceeding if it is not otherwise admissible. [2005 c.451 § 4; 2013 c.417 § 5; 2015 c.509 1,2; 2019 c.48 § 1; 2021 c.489 § 54]