Statements - definitions.

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(1) No statements or admissions of a juvenile made as a result of the custodial interrogation of such juvenile by a law enforcement official concerning delinquent acts alleged to have been committed by the juvenile shall be admissible in evidence against such juvenile unless a parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian of the juvenile was present at such interrogation and the juvenile and his or her parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian were advised of the juvenile's right to remain silent and that any statements made may be used against him or her in a court of law, of his or her right to the presence of an attorney during such interrogation, and of his or her right to have counsel appointed if he or she so requests at the time of the interrogation; except that, if a public defender or counsel representing the juvenile is present at such interrogation, such statements or admissions may be admissible in evidence even though the juvenile's parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian was not present.

(2) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, statements or admissions of a juvenile may be admissible in evidence, notwithstanding the absence of a parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian, if the court finds that, under the totality of the circumstances, the juvenile made a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of rights and:

  1. The juvenile is eighteen years of age or older at the time of the interrogation or thejuvenile misrepresents his or her age as being eighteen years of age or older and the law enforcement official acts in good faith reliance on such misrepresentation in conducting the interrogation;

  2. The juvenile is emancipated from the parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian; or

  3. The juvenile is a runaway from a state other than Colorado and is of sufficient ageand understanding.

(b) For the purposes of this subsection (2), "emancipated juvenile" is defined in section 19-1-103 (45).

  1. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, statements or admissions of a juvenile shall not be inadmissible in evidence by reason of the absence of a parent, guardian, or legal custodian if the juvenile was accompanied by a responsible adult who was a custodian of the juvenile or assuming the role of a parent at the time.

  2. For the purposes of this section, "physical custodian" is defined in section 19-1-103

(84).

  1. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the juvenile and hisor her parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian may expressly waive the requirement that the parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian be present during the juvenile's interrogation. This express waiver must be in writing and must be obtained only after full advisement of the juvenile and his or her parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian of the juvenile's rights prior to the taking of the custodial statement by a law enforcement official. If said requirement is expressly waived, statements or admissions of the juvenile are not inadmissible in evidence by reason of the absence of the juvenile's parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian during interrogation. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (5), a county department of human or social services and the state department of human services, as legal or physical custodian, may not waive said requirement.

  2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, statements or admissions of a juvenile shall not be inadmissible into evidence by reason of the absence of a parent, guardian, or legal or physical custodian, if the juvenile makes any deliberate misrepresentations affecting the applicability or requirements of this section and a law enforcement official, acting in good faith and in reasonable reliance on such deliberate misrepresentation, conducts a custodial interrogation of the juvenile that does not comply with the requirements of subsection (1) of this section.

  3. (a) Notwithstanding any provisions of this section to the contrary, if the juvenile asserts that statements made during the custodial interrogation are inadmissible because a responsible adult had an interest adverse to the juvenile, the prosecution, as part of its burden of proof at a hearing on a motion to suppress the statements, must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the person interrogating the juvenile reasonably believed that the responsible adult did not have any interests adverse to those of the juvenile and that the responsible adult was able to provide protective counseling to the juvenile concerning his or her rights during the interrogation.

(b) For purposes of this subsection (7):

  1. "Protective counseling" means an ongoing opportunity to offer guidance and adviceconcerning the juvenile's right to remain silent and to obtain retained or appointed counsel associated with the custodial interrogation; and

  2. "Responsible adult" means a parent, guardian, legal or physical custodian, or otherresponsible adult who was a custodian of the juvenile or who assumed the role of a parent at the time of the interrogation.

Source: L. 96: Entire article amended with relocations, p. 1635, § 1, effective January 1, 1997. L. 99: (2) amended, p. 1374, § 10, effective July 1; (6) added, p. 1017, § 1, effective August 4. L. 2018: (5) amended, (SB 18-092), ch. 38, p. 414, § 45, effective August 8. L. 2019:

(7) added, (HB 19-1315), ch. 306, p. 2796, § 1, effective August 2.

Editor's note: This section was formerly numbered as 19-2-210. Prior to relocation in 1996, the said section 19-2-210 was contained in a title that was repealed and reenacted in 1987. Provisions of that section, as it existed in 1987, are similar to those contained in 19-2-102 as said section existed in 1986, the year prior to the repeal and reenactment of this title.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 18-092, see section 1 of chapter 38, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.


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