Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707 · Article 17. Wards—Hearings
Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) (1) In any case in which a minor is alleged to be a person described in Section 602 by reason of the violation, when the minor was 16 years of age or older, of any offense listed in subdivision (b) or any other felony criminal statute, the district attorney or other appropriate prosecuting officer may make a motion to transfer the minor from juvenile court to a court of criminal jurisdiction. The motion shall be made prior to the attachment of jeopardy. Upon the motion, the juvenile court shall order the probation officer to submit a report on the behavioral patterns and social history of the minor. The report shall include any written or oral statement offered by the victim pursuant to Section 656.2.
(2) In any case in which an individual is alleged to be a person described in Section 602 by reason of the violation, when the individual was 14 or 15 years of age, of any offense listed in subdivision (b), but was not apprehended prior to the end of juvenile court jurisdiction, the district attorney or other appropriate prosecuting officer may make a motion to transfer the individual from juvenile court to a court of criminal jurisdiction. The motion shall be made prior to the attachment of jeopardy. Upon the motion, the juvenile court shall order the probation officer to submit a report on the behavioral patterns and social history of the individual. The report shall include any written or oral statement offered by the victim pursuant to Section 656.2.
(3) Following submission and consideration of the report, and of any other relevant evidence that the petitioner or the minor may wish to submit, the juvenile court shall decide whether the minor should be transferred to a court of criminal jurisdiction. In order to find that the minor should be transferred to a court of criminal jurisdiction, the court shall find by clear and convincing evidence that the minor is not amenable to rehabilitation while under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. In making its decision, the court shall consider the criteria specified in subparagraphs (A) to (E), inclusive. If the court orders a transfer of jurisdiction, the court shall recite the basis for its decision in an order entered upon the minutes, which shall include the reasons supporting the court’s finding that the minor is not amenable to rehabilitation while under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. In any case in which a hearing has been noticed pursuant to this section, the court shall postpone the taking of a plea to the petition until the conclusion of the transfer hearing, and a plea that has been entered already shall not constitute evidence at the hearing.
(A) (i) The degree of criminal sophistication exhibited by the minor.
(ii) When evaluating the criterion specified in clause (i), the juvenile court shall give weight to any relevant factor, including, but not limited to, the minor’s age, maturity, intellectual capacity, and physical, mental, and emotional health at the time of the alleged offense; the minor’s impetuosity or failure to appreciate risks and consequences of criminal behavior; the effect of familial, adult, or peer pressure on the minor’s actions; the effect of the minor’s family and community environment; the existence of childhood trauma; the minor’s involvement in the child welfare or foster care system; and the status of the minor as a victim of human trafficking, sexual abuse, or sexual battery on the minor’s criminal sophistication.
(B) (i) Whether the minor can be rehabilitated prior to the expiration of the juvenile court’s jurisdiction.
(ii) When evaluating the criterion specified in clause (i), the juvenile court shall give weight to any relevant factor, including, but not limited to, the minor’s potential to grow and mature.
(C) (i) The minor’s previous delinquent history.
(ii) When evaluating the criterion specified in clause (i), the juvenile court shall give weight to any relevant factor, including, but not limited to, the seriousness of the minor’s previous delinquent history and the effect of the minor’s family and community environment and childhood trauma on the minor’s previous delinquent behavior.
(D) (i) Success of previous attempts by the juvenile court to rehabilitate the minor.
(ii) When evaluating the criterion specified in clause (i), the juvenile court shall give weight to any relevant factor, including, but not limited to, the adequacy of the services previously provided to address the minor’s needs.
(E) (i) The circumstances and gravity of the offense alleged in the petition to have been committed by the minor.
(ii) When evaluating the criterion specified in clause (i), the juvenile court shall give weight to any relevant factor, including, but not limited to, the actual behavior of the person, the mental state of the person, the person’s degree of involvement in the crime, the level of harm actually caused by the person, and the person’s mental and emotional development.
(iii) When evaluating the criterion specified in clause (i), the court shall consider evidence offered that indicates that the person against whom the minor is accused of committing an offense trafficked, sexually abused, or sexually battered the minor.
(b) This subdivision is applicable to any case in which a minor is alleged to be a person described in Section 602 by reason of the violation of one of the following offenses:
(1) Murder.
(2) Arson, as provided in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 451 of the Penal Code.
(3) Robbery.
(4) Rape with force, violence, or threat of great bodily harm.
(5) Sodomy by force, violence, duress, menace, or threat of great bodily harm.
(6) A lewd or lascivious act as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 288 of the Penal Code.
(7) Oral copulation by force, violence, duress, menace, or threat of great bodily harm.
(8) An offense specified in subdivision (a) of Section 289 of the Penal Code.
(9) Kidnapping for ransom.
(10) Kidnapping for purposes of robbery.
(11) Kidnapping with bodily harm.
(12) Attempted murder.
(13) Assault with a firearm or destructive device.
(14) Assault by any means of force likely to produce great bodily injury.
(15) Discharge of a firearm into an inhabited or occupied building.
(16) An offense described in Section 1203.09 of the Penal Code.
(17) An offense described in Section 12022.5 or 12022.53 of the Penal Code.
(18) A felony offense in which the minor personally used a weapon described in any provision listed in Section 16590 of the Penal Code.
(19) A felony offense described in Section 136.1 or 137 of the Penal Code.
(20) Manufacturing, compounding, or selling one-half ounce or more of a salt or solution of a controlled substance specified in subdivision (e) of Section 11055 of the Health and Safety Code.
(21) A violent felony, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 667.5 of the Penal Code, which also would constitute a felony violation of subdivision (b) of Section 186.22 of the Penal Code.
(22) Escape, by the use of force or violence, from a county juvenile hall, home, ranch, camp, or forestry camp in violation of subdivision (b) of Section 871 if great bodily injury is intentionally inflicted upon an employee of the juvenile facility during the commission of the escape.
(23) Torture as described in Sections 206 and 206.1 of the Penal Code.
(24) Aggravated mayhem, as described in Section 205 of the Penal Code.
(25) Carjacking, as described in Section 215 of the Penal Code, while armed with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
(26) Kidnapping for purposes of sexual assault, as punishable in subdivision (b) of Section 209 of the Penal Code.
(27) Kidnapping as punishable in Section 209.5 of the Penal Code.
(28) The offense described in subdivision (c) of Section 26100 of the Penal Code.
(29) The offense described in Section 18745 of the Penal Code.
(30) Voluntary manslaughter, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 192 of the Penal Code.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 716, Sec. 1. (SB 545) Effective January 1, 2024.
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=707.
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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.
Health and Safety Code
Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 136.1Printed as Section 136.1 or 137 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 137Printed as Section 136.1 or 137 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 186.22Printed as Section 186.22 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 192Printed as Section 192 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 205Printed as Section 205 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 206Printed as Sections 206 and 206.1 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 206.1Printed as Sections 206 and 206.1 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 209Printed as Section 209 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 209.5Printed as Section 209.5 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 215Printed as Section 215 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 288Printed as Section 288 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 289Printed as Section 289 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 451Printed as Section 451 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 667.5Printed as Section 667.5 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 1203.09Printed as Section 1203.09 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 12022.5Printed as Section 12022.5 or 12022.53 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 12022.53Printed as Section 12022.5 or 12022.53 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 16590Printed as Section 16590 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 18745Printed as Section 18745 of the Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 26100Printed as Section 26100 of the Penal Code
Cited by 49 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 190.2Printed as Section 602 or 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 667Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 799Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 859.5Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 1000.7Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 1170.12Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 13012.5Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code | Sections 602.5 and 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 29800Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 29820Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
- Pen. Code, § 29900Printed as Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
Welfare and Institutions Code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 602Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 607Printed as Section 707 | Section 707 of this code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 625.3Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 626.8Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 653.1Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 653.5Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 654.3Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 656.2Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707.01Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707.2Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 707.5Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 709Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 731Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 733Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 733.1Printed as Section 707 of this code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 781Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 781.2Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 786Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 788Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 790Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 827.2Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 828.1Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 875Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1731.5Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1731.7Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1732.6Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1752.16Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1753.3Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1767.1Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1769Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1771Printed as Section 707 | Section 707 of this code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1772Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1961Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1990Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 1991Printed as Section 707
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 2200Printed as Section 707 of this code
California Rules of Court
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 4.116Certification to juvenile courtPrinted as Welfare and Institutions Code section 707
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 4.510Reverse remandPrinted as Welfare and Institutions Code section 602(b) or 707(d)
- Cal. Rules of Court, rule 5.806Secure youth treatment facility baseline termPrinted as the Welfare and Institutions Code section 707(b)
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.