Florida Statutes
Part VII - Disposition; Postdisposition (Ss. 985.43-985.494)
985.439 - Violation of probation or postcommitment probation.

(1)(a) This section is applicable when the court has jurisdiction over a child on probation or postcommitment probation, regardless of adjudication.
(b) If the conditions of the probation program or the postcommitment probation program are violated, the department or the state attorney may bring the child before the court on a petition alleging a violation of the program. A child who violates the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation must be brought before the court if sanctions are sought.

(2) A child taken into custody under s. 985.101 for violating the conditions of probation shall be screened and detained or released based on his or her risk assessment instrument score.
(3) If the child denies violating the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation, the court shall, upon the child’s request, appoint counsel to represent the child.
(4) Upon the child’s admission, or if the court finds after a hearing that the child has violated the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation, the court shall enter an order revoking, modifying, or continuing probation or postcommitment probation. In each such case, the court shall enter a new disposition order and, in addition to the sanctions set forth in this section, may impose any sanction the court could have imposed at the original disposition hearing. If the child is found to have violated the conditions of probation or postcommitment probation, the court may:
(a) Place the child in supervised release detention with electronic monitoring.
(b) If the violation of probation is technical in nature and not a new violation of law, place the child in an alternative consequence program designed to provide swift and appropriate consequences to any further violations of probation.
1. Alternative consequence programs shall be established, within existing resources, at the local level in coordination with law enforcement agencies, the chief judge of the circuit, the state attorney, and the public defender.
2. Alternative consequence programs may be operated by an entity such as a law enforcement agency, the department, a juvenile assessment center, a county or municipality, or another entity selected by the department.
3. Upon placing a child in an alternative consequence program, the court must approve specific consequences for specific violations of the conditions of probation.

(c) Modify or continue the child’s probation program or postcommitment probation program.
(d) Revoke probation or postcommitment probation and commit the child to the department.

(5) Upon the recommendation of the department at the time of disposition, or subsequent to disposition pursuant to the filing of a petition alleging a violation of the child’s conditions of postcommitment probation, the court may order the child to submit to random testing for the purpose of detecting and monitoring the use of alcohol or controlled substances.
History.—s. 48, ch. 2006-120; s. 24, ch. 2014-162; s. 14, ch. 2018-86; s. 8, ch. 2021-219.