Welf. & Inst. Code, § 702 · Article 17. Wards—Hearings
Welf. & Inst. Code, § 702
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
After hearing the evidence, the court shall make a finding, noted in the minutes of the court, whether or not the minor is a person described by Section 300, 601, or 602. If it finds that the minor is not such a person, it shall order that the petition be dismissed and the minor be discharged from any detention or restriction theretofore ordered. If the court finds that the minor is such a person, it shall make and enter its findings and order accordingly, and shall then proceed to hear evidence on the question of the proper disposition to be made of the minor. Prior to doing so, it may continue the hearing, if necessary, to receive the social study of the probation officer, to refer the minor to a juvenile justice community resource program as defined in Article 5.2 (commencing with Section 1784) of Chapter 1 of Division 2.5, or to receive other evidence on its own motion or the motion of a parent or guardian for not to exceed 10 judicial days if the minor is detained during the continuance. If the minor is not detained, it may continue the hearing to a date not later than 30 days after the date of filing of the petition. The court may, for good cause shown continue the hearing for an additional 15 days, if the minor is not detained. The court may make such order for detention of the minor or his or her release from detention, during the period of the continuance, as is appropriate.
If the minor is found to have committed an offense which would in the case of an adult be punishable alternatively as a felony or a misdemeanor, the court shall declare the offense to be a misdemeanor or felony.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1752, Sec. 1.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=WIC§ionNum=702.
- Text hash
- sha256 9be3639eeaf59438c3c61537fd7d317db64b1a31506c63fa3919850d1b393fd8
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Welfare and Institutions Code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 300Printed as Section 300, 601, or 602
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 601Printed as Section 300, 601, or 602
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 602Printed as Section 300, 601, or 602
- Welf. & Inst. Code, div. 2.5, ch. 1, art. 5.2Juvenile Justice Community Resource ProgramsPrinted as Article 5.2 (commencing with Section 1784) of Chapter 1 of Division 2.5
Cited by 7 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Welf. & Inst. Code, § 702. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Welfare and Institutions Code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 280Printed as Section 702
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 625Printed as Section 636 or 702
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 625.1Printed as Section 702
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 656.2Printed as Section 702 | Sections 702 and 706
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 702.5Printed as Section 701 or 702
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707.5Printed as Sections 702, 706, 706.5, and 730
California Standards of Judicial Administration
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.