ARS 13-504: Persons under eighteen years of age

A. On the motion of a juvenile or on the court’s own motion, the court, if a juvenile is being prosecuted in the same manner as an adult pursuant to section 13-501, subsection B, shall hold a hearing to determine if jurisdiction of the criminal prosecution should be transferred to the juvenile court.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, the court shall hold a hearing if a juvenile is prosecuted in the same manner as an adult pursuant to section 13-501, subsection B for an offense that was committed more than twelve months before the date of the filing of the criminal charge.

C. If the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that public safety and the rehabilitation of the juvenile, if adjudicated delinquent, would be best served by transferring the prosecution to the juvenile court, the judge shall order the juvenile transferred to the juvenile court. On transfer, the court shall order that the juvenile be taken to a place of detention designated by the juvenile court or to that court or shall release the juvenile to the custody of the juvenile’s parent or guardian or other person legally responsible for the juvenile. If the juvenile is released to the juvenile’s parent or guardian or other person legally responsible for the juvenile, the court shall require that the parent, guardian or other person bring the juvenile to appear before the juvenile court at a designated time. The juvenile court shall then proceed with all further proceedings as if a petition alleging delinquency had been filed with the juvenile court under section 8-301.

D. The court shall consider the following factors in determining whether public safety and the juvenile’s rehabilitation, if adjudicated delinquent, would be served by the transfer:

1. The seriousness of the offense involved.

2. The record and previous history of the juvenile, including previous contacts with the court and law enforcement, previous periods of any court ordered probation and the results of that probation.

3. Any previous commitments of the juvenile to juvenile residential placements or other secure institutions.

4. Whether the juvenile was previously committed to the department of juvenile corrections for a felony offense.

5. Whether the juvenile committed another felony offense while the juvenile was a ward of the department of juvenile corrections.

6. Whether the juvenile committed the alleged offense while participating in, assisting, promoting or furthering the interests of a criminal street gang, a criminal syndicate or a racketeering enterprise.

7. The views of the victim of the offense.

8. Whether the degree of the juvenile’s participation in the offense was relatively minor but not so minor as to constitute a defense to prosecution.

9. The juvenile’s mental and emotional condition.

10. The likelihood of the juvenile’s reasonable rehabilitation through the use of services and facilities that are currently available to the juvenile court.

E. At the conclusion of the transfer hearing, the court shall make a written determination whether the juvenile should be transferred to juvenile court. The court shall not defer the decision as to the transfer.