2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 5.530. Persons present
(a) Separate session; restriction on persons present (§§ 345, 675)
All juvenile court proceedings must be heard at a special or separate session of the court, and no other matter may be heard at that session. No person on trial, awaiting trial, or accused of a crime, other than a parent, de facto parent, guardian, or relative of the child, may be present at the hearing, except while testifying as a witness.
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2005.)
(b) Persons present
The following persons are entitled to be present:
(1) The child or nonminor dependent;
(2) All parents, de facto parents, Indian custodians, and guardians of the child or, if no parent or guardian resides within the state or their places of residence are not known, any adult relative residing within the county or, if none, the adult relative residing nearest the court;
(3) Counsel representing the child or the parent, de facto parent, guardian, adult relative, or Indian custodian or the tribe of an Indian child;
(4) The probation officer or social worker;
(5) The prosecuting attorney, as provided in (c) and (d);
(6) Any CASA volunteer;
(7) In a proceeding described by rule 5.480, a representative of the Indian child's tribe;
(8) The court clerk;
(9) The official court reporter, as provided in rule 5.532;
(10) At the court's discretion, a bailiff; and
(11) Any other persons entitled to notice of the hearing under sections 290.1 and 290.2.
(Subd (b) amended effective July 1, 2013; previously amended effective January 1, 1995, January 1, 1997, January 1, 2005, January 1, 2007, and January 1, 2012.)
(c) Presence of prosecuting attorney-section 601-602 proceedings (§ 681)
In proceedings brought under section 602, the prosecuting attorney must appear on behalf of the people of the State of California. In proceedings brought under section 601, the prosecuting attorney may appear to assist in ascertaining and presenting the evidence if:
(1) The child is represented by counsel; and
(2) The court consents to or requests the prosecuting attorney's presence, or the probation officer requests and the court consents to the prosecuting attorney's presence.
(Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2007.)
(d) Presence of petitioner's attorney-section 300 proceedings (§ 317)
In proceedings brought under section 300, the county counsel or district attorney must appear and represent the petitioner if the parent or guardian is represented by counsel and the juvenile court requests the attorney's presence.
(Subd (d) amended effective January 1, 2007.)
(e) Others who may be admitted (§§ 346, 676, 676.5)
Except as provided below, the public must not be admitted to a juvenile court hearing. The court may admit those whom the court deems to have a direct and legitimate interest in the case or in the work of the court.
(1) If requested by a parent or guardian in a hearing under section 300, and consented to or requested by the child, the court may permit others to be present.
(2) In a hearing under section 602:
(A) If requested by the child and a parent or guardian who is present, the court may admit others.
(B) Up to two family members of a prosecuting witness may attend to support the witness, as authorized by Penal Code section 868.5.
(C) Except as provided in section 676(b), members of the public must be admitted to hearings concerning allegations of the offenses stated in section 676(a).
(D) A victim of an offense alleged to have been committed by the child who is the subject of the petition, and up to two support persons chosen by the victim, are entitled to attend any hearing regarding the offense.
(E) Any persons, including the child, may move to exclude a victim or a support person and must demonstrate a substantial probability that overriding interests will be prejudiced by the presence of the individual sought to be excluded. On such motion, the court must consider reasonable alternatives to the exclusion and must make findings as required under section 676.5.
(Subd (e) amended effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 2001.)
(f) Participation of incarcerated parent in dependency proceedings (§§ 290.1-294, 316.2, 349, 361.5(e); Pen. Code § 2625)
The incarcerated parent of a child on behalf of whom a petition under section 300 has been filed may appear and participate in dependency proceedings as provided in this subdivision.
(1) Notice must be sent to an incarcerated parent of a detention hearing under section 319 as required by sections 290.1 and 290.2; a jurisdictional hearing under section 355 or a dispositional hearing under section 358 or 361 as required by section 291; a review hearing under section 366.21, 366.22, or 366.25 as required by section 293; or a permanency planning hearing under section 366.26 as required by section 294.
(A) Notice to an incarcerated parent of a jurisdictional hearing, a dispositional hearing, or a section 366.26 permanency planning hearing at which termination of parental rights is at issue must inform the incarcerated parent of his or her right to be physically present at the hearing and explain how the parent may secure his or her presence or, if he or she waives the right to be physically present, appearance and participation.
(B) Notice to an incarcerated parent of a detention hearing, a review hearing, or any other hearing in a dependency proceeding must inform the incarcerated parent of his or her options for requesting physical or telephonic appearance at and participation in the hearing.
(C) The county welfare department must use the prisoner location system developed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to facilitate timely and effective notice of hearings to incarcerated parents.
(2) The court must order an incarcerated parent's temporary removal from the institution where he or she is confined and production before the court at the time appointed for any jurisdictional hearing held under section 355 or dispositional hearing held under section 358 or 361, and any permanency planning hearing held under section 366.26 in which termination of parental rights is at issue.
(3) For any other hearing in a dependency proceeding, including but not limited to a detention hearing or a review hearing, the court may order the temporary removal of the incarcerated parent from the institution where he or she is confined and the parent's production before the court at the time appointed for that hearing.
(4) No hearing described in (2) may be held without the physical presence of the incarcerated parent and the parent's attorney unless the court has received:
(A) A knowing waiver of the right to be physically present signed by the parent; or
(B) A declaration, signed by the person in charge of the institution in which the parent is incarcerated, or his or her designated representative, stating that the parent has, by express statement or action, indicated an intent not to be physically present at the hearing.
(5) When issuing an order under (2) or (3), the court must require that Order for Prisoner's Appearance at Hearing Affecting Parental Rights (form JV-450) and a copy of Prisoner's Statement Regarding Appearance at Hearing Affecting Parental Rights (form JV-451) be attached to the notice of hearing and served on the parent, the parent's attorney, the person in charge of the institution, and the sheriff's department of the county in which the order is issued by the person responsible for giving notice of the hearing at issue not less than 15 days before the date of the hearing.
(6) The court may, at the request of any party or on its own motion, permit an incarcerated parent, who has waived his or her right to be physically present at a hearing described in (2) or who has not been ordered to appear before the court, to appear and participate in a hearing by videoconference consistent with the requirements of rule 5.531
. If video technology is not available, the court may permit the parent to appear by telephone consistent with the requirements of rule 5.531. The court must inform the parent that, if no technology complying with rule 5.531 is available, the court may proceed without his or her appearance and participation.
(7) The presiding judge of the juvenile court in each county should convene representatives of the county welfare department, the sheriff's department, parents' attorneys, and other appropriate entities to develop:
(A) Local procedures or protocols to ensure an incarcerated parent's notification of, transportation to, and physical presence at court hearings involving proceedings affecting his or her child as required or authorized by Penal Code section 2625 and this rule unless he or she has knowingly waived the right to be physically present; and
(B) Local procedures or protocols, consistent with (f)(6) and rule 5.531, to facilitate the appearance and participation by videoconference or telephone of an incarcerated parent who has knowingly waived the right to be physically present.
(Subd (f) adopted effective January 1, 2012.)
(g) Discretionary tribal participation (§§ 224, 306.6, 346, 676, 827, 16001.9)
(1) The tribe of a child may request to participate in a case, using Request for Tribal Participation (form ICWA-042). The court should exercise its discretion as follows:
(A) In a proceeding involving an Indian child, the child's tribe may request permission to participate in the proceedings under section 346 or 676. Consistent with sections 224 and 16001.9, there is a presumption that the tribe has a direct and legitimate interest in the proceedings under section 346 or 676 and the request should be approved absent a finding by the court that the tribe's participation would not assist the court in making decisions that are in the best interest of the child.
(B) In a proceeding involving a child described by section 306.6, the tribe from which the child is descended may request permission to participate in the proceedings. Consistent with sections 224 and 16001.9, the request should be approved absent a finding by the court that the tribe's participation would not assist the court in making decisions that are in the best interest of the child.
(C) When a child does not meet the definition of an Indian child but either of the child's parents is a member of a tribe and the tribe wishes to participate in juvenile proceedings involving the child, the parent's tribe may request permission to participate in the proceedings under section 346 or 676. Consistent with sections 224 and 16001.9, there is a presumption that the tribe has a direct and legitimate interest in the proceedings under section 346 or 676 and the request should be approved absent a finding by the court that the tribe's participation would not assist the court in making decisions that are in the best interest of the child.
(2) Upon approval of a request, the court must instruct the tribe as to the confidentiality of the proceedings and, although the tribe does not become a party unless the court orders otherwise, the tribe is authorized to:
(A) Be present at the hearing;
(B) Address the court;
(C) Request and receive notices of hearings;
(D) Request to examine court documents relating to the proceeding consistent with section 827;
(E) Present information to the court that is relevant to the proceeding;
(F) Submit written reports and recommendations to the court; and
(G) Perform other duties and responsibilities as requested or approved by the court.
(Subd (g) adopted effective January 1, 2024.)
Rule 5.530 amended effective January 1, 2024; adopted as rule 1410 effective January 1, 1990; previously amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective January 1, 1995, January 1, 1997, January 1, 2001, January 1, 2005, January 1, 2012, and July 1, 2013.