https://www.katiewalshlaw.com/blog/tags/california-juvenile-law/ Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:22:28 GMT en-us https://www.katiewalshlaw.com/blog/juvenile-probation-length-california/ https://www.katiewalshlaw.com/blog/juvenile-probation-length-california/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:54:49 GMT Most juvenile probation in California is now capped at 12 months. A law effective January 1, 2026 says a ward cannot stay on probation longer than 12 months from the most recent disposition hearing unless a judge extends it after a noticed hearing. Several categories of wards fall outside the limit, and the starting date moves with every new disposition.

]]> Most juvenile probation in California is now capped at 12 months. Welfare and Institutions Code 602.05, added by AB 1376 and effective January 1, 2026, says a ward on probation cannot remain on probation longer than 12 months from the most recent disposition hearing unless a judge extends it after a hearing.

I have handled juvenile cases in Orange County for years, and the question I hear most from parents is when this ends. For the first time there is a real answer. At the Law Office of Katie Walsh, I am asking courts to apply it.

What AB 1376 Changed About Juvenile Probation

AB 1376 put an outside limit on how long a young person can stay on probation. Before 2026 there was no fixed limit on the length of probation itself, and supervision could stretch on while new violations produced new dispositions.

The section applies to a ward under Welfare and Institutions Code 601 or 602 who is on probation under section 727, whether or not a probation officer supervises them. The same law also rewrote the rules for conditions of probation, which must now be individually tailored, developmentally appropriate and reasonable, with the burden they impose proportional to the interests they serve.

When Can a Judge Extend Probation Past 12 Months?

A judge can extend probation past 12 months, but not quietly. The statute requires a noticed hearing and proof by a preponderance of the evidence that continuing probation is in both your child’s interest and the public’s.

The probation agency has to submit a report explaining the basis for the request. You get notice of that hearing, and it is one worth appearing at with counsel.

Which Wards Are Not Covered by the 12-Month Limit?

The 12-month cap does not reach every ward. It does not apply to a ward placed under the probation officer’s supervision for placement, to a ward while serving a custodial commitment to a juvenile hall, home, ranch, camp or forestry camp, or to a ward transferred out of a secure youth treatment facility.

If your child is in one of those situations, ask specifically how the limit applies rather than assuming the clock is running.

Why the Most Recent Disposition Hearing Matters

The 12 months run from the most recent disposition hearing, not from the day probation started. If a violation leads to a new disposition, the date that matters moves with it.

Nothing in the law stops a judge from holding progress reviews earlier, and in my experience asking for one is often the fastest route to ending wardship probation. The Orange County Superior Court juvenile division publishes its hearing information online.

Talk to an Orange County Juvenile Defense Lawyer About the New Limit

If your child has been on probation longer than a year, that is worth a phone call. Call my office at (714) 351-0178 or contact us online. As an Orange County juvenile defense lawyer, I will look at the date of the last disposition hearing and tell you whether this law applies to your child.

]]> https://www.katiewalshlaw.com/blog/juvenile-court-fines-restitution-california/ https://www.katiewalshlaw.com/blog/juvenile-court-fines-restitution-california/ Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:54:47 GMT A California juvenile court can no longer impose the old $250 fine or a separate restitution fine on a ward. Victim restitution is a different matter and it is mandatory. A parent with joint or sole legal and physical custody is presumed liable for it, and the amount can be contested at a hearing.

]]> A California juvenile court can no longer fine your child, but it can order restitution to a victim, and you can be held responsible for paying it. As of January 1, 2026 the court cannot impose the old $250 fine, and it cannot impose a separate restitution fine on a ward. Victim restitution is a different matter and it is mandatory.

Parents are usually surprised by that last part. At the Law Office of Katie Walsh, I raise it early, because these orders are far easier to shape at disposition than to undo later.

What Money Can a Juvenile Court Order in 2026?

A juvenile court can order restitution to a victim, and that is now essentially the whole list. AB 1376 removed the court’s authority to impose a fine of up to $250 or to order uncompensated work, and the code separately bars a court from imposing an additional restitution fine on a ward.

Restitution itself is required. The court must order full restitution unless it finds compelling and extraordinary reasons not to and states them on the record. It covers the replacement or repair cost of property, medical expenses, and wages lost by a victim, including wages a parent loses caring for an injured child.

Are Parents Responsible for a Child’s Restitution?

Parents are presumed responsible for a child’s restitution. A parent or guardian with joint or sole legal and physical custody is rebuttably presumed jointly and severally liable, up to the limits set in the Civil Code.

There are two ways to rebut it. One is inability to pay, where the court may weigh your income, earning capacity, dependents and necessary obligations like rent, food and medical bills. The other is notice: if you were not told you could be liable before the petition was sustained, or you were not present at those proceedings, that is a separate ground. You carry the burden on both. The presumption does not apply to foster parents. It is one of several ways parents face consequences for a teen’s conduct.

Can the Amount Be Challenged?

The amount can be challenged, and your child has a right to a hearing before a judge to dispute it. The court can also modify an amount later on its own motion or on a request from either side.

One point matters enormously when several teenagers were involved. Each minor is severally liable, not jointly and severally as co-offenders, and the court apportions the amount by each one’s share of responsibility. Your child should not be carrying someone else’s share. That fight belongs at a restitution hearing.

What Happens If the Restitution Cannot Be Paid?

Probation cannot be revoked simply because restitution went unpaid. A court has to find that the failure was willful, or that your child did not make a real effort to earn the money.

The obligation does not disappear, though. Whatever remains unpaid when probation ends stays enforceable by the victim as a civil judgment.

Ask an Orange County Juvenile Defense Lawyer Before You Pay Anything

If a number has been put in front of you, find out what it actually is before you write a check. Call my office at (714) 351-0178 or contact us online for a free consultation. As an Orange County juvenile defense lawyer, I will tell you what is owed and what can be contested.

]]>