Youth part of the superior court established

§ 722.10 Youth part of the superior court established.

1. The chief administrator of the courts is hereby directed to establish, in a superior court in each county of the state, a part of the court to be known as the youth part of the superior court for the county in which such court presides. Judges presiding in the youth part shall be (i) family court judges, as described in article six, section one of the constitution, or (ii) judges of a superior court who have been determined by the chief administrator of the courts to be qualified to preside because of prior training and experience, including but not limited to in juvenile delinquency proceedings in family court or adolescent or juvenile offender proceedings in a superior court. To aid in their work, such judges shall receive training in specialized areas, including, but not limited to, juvenile justice, adolescent development, custody and care of youths and effective treatment methods for reducing unlawful conduct by youths, and shall be authorized to make appropriate determinations within the power of such superior court with respect to the cases of youths assigned to such part. The youth part shall have exclusive jurisdiction in all proceedings in relation to juvenile offenders and adolescent offenders, except as provided in this article or article seven hundred twenty-five of this chapter.

2. The chief administrator of the courts shall also direct the presiding justice of the appellate division, in each judicial department of the state, to designate judges authorized by law to exercise criminal jurisdiction to serve as accessible magistrates, for the purpose of acting in place of the youth part for certain first appearance proceedings involving youths, as provided by law. When designating such magistrates, the presiding justice shall ensure that all areas of a county are within a reasonable distance of a designated magistrate. A judge authorized to preside as such a magistrate shall have received training in specialized areas, including, but not limited to, juvenile justice, adolescent development, custody and care of youths and effective treatment methods for reducing unlawful conduct by youths.