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When a child 14 years of age or older commits an act which
would constitute a crime if it were committed by an adult, the district attorney
may petition the juvenile court to transfer the youth to the adult court for criminal
prosecution.
When a petition for transfer is filed, the juvenile court
conducts a hearing to determine whether it is in the best interest of the youth
or the public to grant a motion to transfer. If, after hearing all the evidence,
the court finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the allegations
against the youth are true and correct, and further finds that the youth is not
amenable to the services provided through the juvenile court, the court may grant
the motion to transfer the case.
A conviction or youthful offender adjudication of a child
transferred and tried as an adult terminates the jurisdiction of the juvenile court
over pending and future offenses. This is referred to as "once transferred, and
convicted, always transferred."
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