20-519. EVIDENTIARY HEARING. If the juvenile denies the allegations
in the petition, the court shall conduct a full evidentiary hearing, in the
manner prescribed by the Idaho juvenile rules. The juvenile shall have the
right to call witnesses on his own behalf. A record shall be made in all
proceedings connected with the case and shall be preserved in the event of
appeal. If at the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing the court finds the
juvenile to come within the purview of the act, the court shall so rule, and
then shall set the matter down for sentencing, or may, in the interest of
time, hold a sentencing hearing at the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing
if all information necessary to the disposition of the case is available at
the time.
When a juvenile, other than the juvenile against whom the petition has
been filed, is summoned as a witness in any hearing under this act, notwith-
standing any other statutory provision, parents, a counselor, a friend or
other person having a supportive relationship with the juvenile shall, if
available, be permitted to remain in the courtroom at the witness stand with
the juvenile during the juvenile's testimony unless, in written findings
made and entered, the court finds that the juvenile's constitutional right
to a fair trial will be unduly prejudiced.
[(20-519) 1984, ch. 81, sec. 9, p. 154; am. 1989, ch. 54, sec. 1, p.
70; am. and redesig. 1995, ch. 44, sec. 20, p. 86.]