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O.C.G.A. § 15-11-580

Admission or denial of the allegations of a petition

— Code 1981, § 15-11-580, enacted by Ga

(a) At the commencement of the adjudication hearing, the court shall

address the alleged delinquent child, in language understandable to the child, and determine whether such child is capable of understanding

statements about his or her rights under this article.

(b) If a child is capable, the court shall inquire how he or she responds to the allegations of the delinquency petition. The child may:

(1) Deny the allegations of such petition, in which case the court shall proceed to hear evidence on such petition; or

(2) Admit the allegations of such petition, in which case the court shall further inquire to determine whether there is a factual basis for adjudication. If so, the court may then adjudge such child to have

committed a delinquent act.

(c) If a child stands mute, refuses to answer, or answers evasively, the court shall enter a denial of the allegations.

Current official text: Official Code of Georgia Annotated (LexisNexis). Digitized from the Internet Archive scan of the OCGA. Reproduced from public-domain Georgia statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.