(a) Fingerprints of a child who has been charged with a delinquent act shall be taken by the law enforcement agency taking the child into custody. The prints may be retained in a local file and a copy shall be filed with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.
(b) If latent fingerprints are found during the investigation of a delinquent act and a law enforcement officer has reason to believe that they are those of the child in custody, the officer may fingerprint the child regardless of age or delinquent act for purpose of immediate comparison with the latent fingerprints. The prints may be retained in a local file and copies shall be sent to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.
(c) Special precautions shall be taken to ensure that the fingerprints will be maintained in a manner and pursuant to safeguards as to limit their use to inspection for comparison purposes by law enforcement officers or by staff of the depository only in the investigation of a crime.
(d) A child who is charged with a delinquent act shall be photographed by the law enforcement agency taking the child into custody for criminal identification purposes. A child in custody for any other reason shall not be photographed for criminal identification purposes without the consent of the juvenile court. The photographs shall be retained in a local file with the same safeguards in place as for fingerprints.
(e) Blood or other samples necessary for DNA testing may be taken for criminal identification purposes from a child who is charged with a delinquent act that would constitute a Class A or B felony if committed by an adult. The samples, if taken, shall be submitted for DNA testing and the DNA records shall be filed with the Department of Forensic Sciences. Special precautions shall be taken to ensure that the DNA records will be maintained in a manner and pursuant to safeguards that will limit their use to inspection for identification purposes by law enforcement officers or by staff of the testing facility only in the investigation of a crime.
(f) Any person who willfully violates this section, upon conviction thereof, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.
Structure Code of Alabama
Chapter 15 - Juvenile Proceedings.
Article 1 - General Provisions.
Section 12-15-102 - Definitions.
Section 12-15-104 - Advisory Boards.
Section 12-15-111 - Contributing to the Delinquency, Dependency, or Need of Supervision of Children.
Section 12-15-112 - Interference With Performance of Duties by Juvenile Probation Officers.
Section 12-15-114 - Original Jurisdiction - Juvenile.
Section 12-15-115 - Original Jurisdiction - Civil.
Section 12-15-116 - Original Jurisdiction - Criminal.
Section 12-15-117 - Retention and Termination of Jurisdiction Generally.
Section 12-15-117.1 - Continuing Jurisdiction of Juvenile Court to Modify and Enforce Judgments.
Section 12-15-118 - Duties of Juvenile Court Intake Officers.
Section 12-15-119 - Informal Adjustment of Certain Cases Prior to Filing of Juvenile Petition.
Section 12-15-120 - Cases Initiated by Filing of Petitions by Juvenile Court Intake Officers.
Section 12-15-121 - Form, Contents, and Execution of Juvenile Petitions.
Section 12-15-122 - Issuance and Service of Summonses Generally; Waiver of Service of Summonses.
Section 12-15-123 - Manner of Service of Summons.
Section 12-15-125 - Taking Into Custody of Children Generally.
Section 12-15-126 - Issuance of Pick-Up Order for Taking Into Custody.
Section 12-15-129 - Conduct of Hearings Generally.
Section 12-15-131 - Issuance of Orders Restraining Conduct of Parties to Proceedings.
Section 12-15-133 - Filing and Inspection of Records.
Section 12-15-134 - Maintenance and Inspection of Law Enforcement Records.
Section 12-15-135 - Taking and Disposition of Fingerprints, Photographs, Blood Samples.