Caroline Menjivar

Existing law subjects a minor between 12 and 17 years of age, who violates any federal, state, or local law or ordinance, and a minor under 12 years of age who is alleged to have committed specified serious offenses, to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge the minor to be a ward of the court. Existing law also establishes the transition jurisdiction or the juvenile court and subjects certain minors who are older than 17 years and 5 months of age and younger than 18 years of age, and certain nonminors who are older than 18 years of age and less than 21 years of age, who were wards of the juvenile court and in foster care placement to that jurisdiction. Existing law assigns various responsibilities relating to these individuals to the probation officer, including, among others, the responsibility to supervise minors placed on probation.

Existing law requires every county to appoint a chief probation officer and requires the chief probation officer to perform the duties and discharge the obligations imposed on the office by law or by order of the superior court, including, among other things, community supervision of the minors described above and the operation of juvenile halls, camps, and ranches, pursuant to specified provisions.

This bill would authorize the board of supervisors in a county with a population of at least 6,000,000 people to, except as specified, delegate to a county official who has jurisdiction over youth development, diversion, and reentry all or part of the duties and authorities concerning these individuals, as specified. The bill would require the county board of supervisors to delegate all or part of these duties and authorities to a county official that is part of a collective bargaining unit.

Existing law generally limits access to juvenile case files, as defined. Existing law authorizes only certain individuals to inspect a juvenile case file, including, among others, the county counsel, city attorney, or any other attorney representing the petitioning agency in a dependency action.

This bill would additionally authorize county officials who have been delegated duties, authorities, or both, as described above, to inspect a juvenile case file.