Art. 884.  Adjudication order

A.  Following the adjudication hearing, the court shall immediately declare whether the evidence warrants an adjudication that the child is delinquent.  In exceptional circumstances, the court may take the matter under advisement.

B.  If the evidence demonstrates that the child's family is in need of services, the court may adjudicate the child's family to be in need of services and proceed to a disposition in accordance with Chapters 10 and 12 of Title VII.

C.  If the court finds that the evidence does not warrant any requested or authorized adjudication, it shall dismiss the petition.

D.  In addition to any other use provided for in this Code, a prior adjudication order of delinquency, whether felony grade or misdemeanor grade, may be used as a predicate offense for enhancement purposes in future juvenile delinquency proceedings only.

Acts 1991, No. 235, §8, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1999, No. 1317, §4; Acts 2004, No. 321, §1; Acts 2011, No. 321, §1.