Florida Statutes 985.437 – Restitution
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(1) The court that has jurisdiction over an adjudicated delinquent child may, by an order stating the facts upon which a determination of a sanction and rehabilitative program was made at the disposition hearing, order the child to make restitution in the manner provided in this section. This order shall be part of the probation program to be implemented by the department or, in the case of a committed child, as part of the community-based sanctions ordered by the court at the disposition hearing or before the child’s release from commitment.
(2)(a) While the primary purpose of restitution is to compensate the victim, it also serves the rehabilitative and deterrent goals of the juvenile justice system.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 985.437
- Circuit: means any of the 20 judicial circuits as set forth in…. See Florida Statutes 985.03
- Court: means the circuit court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter, unless otherwise expressly stated. See Florida Statutes 985.03
- Department: means the Department of Juvenile Justice. See Florida Statutes 985.03
- Disposition hearing: means a hearing in which the court determines the most appropriate dispositional services in the least restrictive available setting provided for under part VII, in delinquency cases. See Florida Statutes 985.03
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- 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.
- Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
- 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.
- Parent: means a woman who gives birth to a child and a man whose consent to the adoption of the child would be required under…. See Florida Statutes 985.03
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
(b) The court may order the child to make restitution in money, through a promissory note cosigned by the child’s parent or guardian, or in kind for any damage or loss caused by the child’s offense in a reasonable amount or manner to be determined by the court. Restitution must be determined on a fair market value basis unless the state, victim, or child shows that using another basis, including, but not limited to, replacement cost, purchase price less depreciation, or actual cost of repair, is equitable and better furthers the purposes of restitution. The court may consider hearsay evidence for this purpose, provided it finds that the hearsay evidence has a minimal indicia of reliability.
(c) When restitution is ordered by the court, the amount of restitution may not exceed an amount the child and the parent or guardian could reasonably be expected to pay or make.
(3) The clerk of the circuit court shall be the receiving and dispensing agent. In such case, the court shall order the child or the child’s parent or guardian to pay to the office of the clerk of the circuit court an amount not to exceed the actual cost incurred by the clerk as a result of receiving and dispensing restitution payments. The clerk shall notify the court if restitution is not made, and the court shall take any further action that is necessary against the child or the child’s parent or guardian.
(4) A finding by the court, after a hearing, that the parent or guardian has made diligent and good faith efforts to prevent the child from engaging in delinquent acts absolves the parent or guardian of liability for restitution under this section.
(5) The court may retain jurisdiction over a child and the child’s parent or legal guardian whom the court has ordered to pay restitution until the restitution order is satisfied or until the court orders otherwise, as provided in s. 985.0301.