Kentucky Statutes 610.320 – Juvenile record and juvenile docket — Disclosure of information in court and police records concerning juvenile prohibited — Exceptions — Use of juvenile records in court
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(1) A special record book shall be kept by the court for all cases, to be known as the “juvenile record,” and the docket or calendar of such cases shall be called the “juvenile docket.”
(2) No probation officer, nor employee of a probation officer, shall, without the consent of the District Judge sitting in juvenile session, divulge or communicate to any persons other than the court, law enforcement, the Department of Juvenile Justice, an officer of the court interested in the case, a member of the advisory board of the court, or a representative of the cabinet, any information obtained pursuant to the discharge of his duties, nor shall any record of the action of the probation officer be made public except by leave of the District Judge; provided, that nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the probation officer from divulging or communicating such information to the court, to his colleagues or superiors in his own department, or to another probation officer having a direct interest in the record or social history of the child.
(3) All law enforcement and court records regarding children who have not reached their eighteenth birthday shall not be opened to scrutiny by the public, except that a separate public record shall be kept by the clerk of the court which shall be accessible to the public for court records, limited to the petition, order of the adjudication, and disposition in juvenile delinquency proceedings concerning a child who is fourteen (14) years of age or older at the time of the commission of the offense, and who is adjudicated a juvenile delinquent for the commission of an offense that would constitute a capital offense or a Class A, B, or C felony if the juvenile were an adult, or any offense involving a deadly weapon, or an offense wherein a deadly weapon is used or displayed.
(4) Release of the child’s treatment, medical, mental, or psychological records is prohibited unless presented as evidence in Circuit Court. Release of any records resulting from the child’s prior abuse and neglect under Title IV-E or Title IV-B of the Federal Social Security Act is also prohibited. Otherwise, the law enforcement records shall be made available to the child, family, guardian, or legal representative of the child involved. The records shall also be made available to the court, probation officers, prosecutors, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and law enforcement agencies or representatives of the cabinet. Records, limited to the child’s adjudication of delinquency, and disposition of a criminal activity covered by KRS § 610.345, shall also be made available to public or private elementary and secondary school administrative, transportation, and counseling personnel, and to any teacher to whose class the student has been assigned for instruction, subject to the provisions of KRS § 610.340 and KRS § 610.345.
(5) Subject to the Kentucky Rules of Evidence, juvenile court records of adjudications of guilt of a child for an offense which would be a felony if committed by an adult shall be admissible in court at any time the child is tried as an adult, or after the child becomes an adult, at any subsequent criminal trial relating to that same person.
Juvenile court records made available pursuant to this section may be used for impeachment purposes during a criminal trial, and may be used during the sentencing phase of a criminal trial. However, the fact that a juvenile has been adjudicated delinquent of an offense which would be a felony if the child had been an adult shall not be used in finding the child to be a persistent felony offender based upon that adjudication.
(6) This section shall not relieve the probation officer or peace officer from divulging such facts as a witness in a trial or hearing involving any cases falling under KRS Chapters 600 to 645 or the production of juvenile records for use in the trial or proceedings.
(7) This section shall not prohibit release of information regarding juvenile proceedings in the District Court which do not reveal the identity of the child or its parents or guardians, or which relate to the child’s eligibility for services under Title IV-E or IV-B of the Federal Social Security Act. Release of the child’s treatment, medical, mental, or psychological records is prohibited unless presented as evidence in Circuit Court.
Effective: July 12, 2006
History: Amended 2006 Ky. Acts ch. 182, sec. 68, effective July 12, 2006. — Amended
1998 Ky. Acts ch. 493, sec. 15, effective April 10, 1998; and ch. 606, sec. 22, effective July 15, 1998. — Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 358, sec. 36, effective July 1,
1996 and July 15, 1997. — Amended 1988 Ky. Acts ch. 350, sec. 37, effective April
10, 1988. — Created 1986 Ky. Acts ch. 423, sec. 51, effective July 1, 1987.
(2) No probation officer, nor employee of a probation officer, shall, without the consent of the District Judge sitting in juvenile session, divulge or communicate to any persons other than the court, law enforcement, the Department of Juvenile Justice, an officer of the court interested in the case, a member of the advisory board of the court, or a representative of the cabinet, any information obtained pursuant to the discharge of his duties, nor shall any record of the action of the probation officer be made public except by leave of the District Judge; provided, that nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the probation officer from divulging or communicating such information to the court, to his colleagues or superiors in his own department, or to another probation officer having a direct interest in the record or social history of the child.
Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 610.320
- Action: includes all proceedings in any court of this state. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
- Capital offense: A crime punishable by death.
- Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
- 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.
- Federal: refers to the United States. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
- 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.
- Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
- Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
- Treatment: when used in a criminal justice context, means targeted interventions
that focus on criminal risk factors in order to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010 - Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(3) All law enforcement and court records regarding children who have not reached their eighteenth birthday shall not be opened to scrutiny by the public, except that a separate public record shall be kept by the clerk of the court which shall be accessible to the public for court records, limited to the petition, order of the adjudication, and disposition in juvenile delinquency proceedings concerning a child who is fourteen (14) years of age or older at the time of the commission of the offense, and who is adjudicated a juvenile delinquent for the commission of an offense that would constitute a capital offense or a Class A, B, or C felony if the juvenile were an adult, or any offense involving a deadly weapon, or an offense wherein a deadly weapon is used or displayed.
(4) Release of the child’s treatment, medical, mental, or psychological records is prohibited unless presented as evidence in Circuit Court. Release of any records resulting from the child’s prior abuse and neglect under Title IV-E or Title IV-B of the Federal Social Security Act is also prohibited. Otherwise, the law enforcement records shall be made available to the child, family, guardian, or legal representative of the child involved. The records shall also be made available to the court, probation officers, prosecutors, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and law enforcement agencies or representatives of the cabinet. Records, limited to the child’s adjudication of delinquency, and disposition of a criminal activity covered by KRS § 610.345, shall also be made available to public or private elementary and secondary school administrative, transportation, and counseling personnel, and to any teacher to whose class the student has been assigned for instruction, subject to the provisions of KRS § 610.340 and KRS § 610.345.
(5) Subject to the Kentucky Rules of Evidence, juvenile court records of adjudications of guilt of a child for an offense which would be a felony if committed by an adult shall be admissible in court at any time the child is tried as an adult, or after the child becomes an adult, at any subsequent criminal trial relating to that same person.
Juvenile court records made available pursuant to this section may be used for impeachment purposes during a criminal trial, and may be used during the sentencing phase of a criminal trial. However, the fact that a juvenile has been adjudicated delinquent of an offense which would be a felony if the child had been an adult shall not be used in finding the child to be a persistent felony offender based upon that adjudication.
(6) This section shall not relieve the probation officer or peace officer from divulging such facts as a witness in a trial or hearing involving any cases falling under KRS Chapters 600 to 645 or the production of juvenile records for use in the trial or proceedings.
(7) This section shall not prohibit release of information regarding juvenile proceedings in the District Court which do not reveal the identity of the child or its parents or guardians, or which relate to the child’s eligibility for services under Title IV-E or IV-B of the Federal Social Security Act. Release of the child’s treatment, medical, mental, or psychological records is prohibited unless presented as evidence in Circuit Court.
Effective: July 12, 2006
History: Amended 2006 Ky. Acts ch. 182, sec. 68, effective July 12, 2006. — Amended
1998 Ky. Acts ch. 493, sec. 15, effective April 10, 1998; and ch. 606, sec. 22, effective July 15, 1998. — Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 358, sec. 36, effective July 1,
1996 and July 15, 1997. — Amended 1988 Ky. Acts ch. 350, sec. 37, effective April
10, 1988. — Created 1986 Ky. Acts ch. 423, sec. 51, effective July 1, 1987.