A bill that has been signed into law affects all Minnesota residents under the age of 18, as well as their parents or guardians. Those who have a child in this age group will want to learn more about HF 2749, which was formally enacted in 2022. These new laws affect juvenile defense, especially pertaining to police interrogation of minors.
Many parents do not realize that police officers are allowed to question minors, but they are. Since HF 2749 became law, however, if a minor has been taken into temporary custody or is in secured or non-secured custody, certain things must happen before law enforcement officers can question the individual.
Police must attempt to contact parent or guardian under juvenile defense laws
If Minnesota police take a minor child into custody, they must try to contact the parents to inform them of the situation and to let them know that they are going to question the minor and that parents or a legal guardian have a right to be present when they are doing so. Police may still interrogate a juvenile without a parent or legal guardian present if they fulfilled the obligation to establish contact, but their efforts were unsuccessful. However, they cannot interrogate your minor child without legal counsel being there. The new juvenile defense laws in Minnesota require legal counsel to be provided prior to minors being questioned in police custody.
Know how to defend parental and juvenile rights
Minnesota juvenile defense laws are intended to help protect the rights of minors who have been taken into police custody or are facing criminal charges. A concerned parent will want to make sure that he or she understands state laws that pertain to such matters, as well as all applicable parental rights. Parents and guardians will also want to know where to seek support if a problem arises.
