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Rule 5:21-6.Post-complaint Detention

Last amended December 31, 1983 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5:21-6 lets the court place a juvenile in an appropriate facility at any time after the complaint is filed, following a detention or shelter care hearing.

Full Text of Rule 5:21-6

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At any time after the filing of a complaint the court may, after a detention or shelter care hearing and pursuant to these rules, direct that a juvenile be placed in an appropriate facility.
End

Amendment History

New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “Note” beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; a “Source” line names the former rule the current one grew out of, and “R. (1969)” citations refer to the earlier numbering it replaced.

Note: Source--R. (1969) 5:8-6(c). Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983.

Plain-English Summary

A short rule that keeps the court's placement power available throughout the case rather than only at the outset. At any time after the filing of a complaint the court may direct that a juvenile be placed in an appropriate facility.

Two conditions travel with it. The direction follows a detention or shelter care hearing, and it is made pursuant to these rules — so the detention standards, the restrictions on where a juvenile may be held, and the review intervals all continue to apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a juvenile be detained later in the case?

Yes. At any time after the filing of a complaint the court may, after a detention or shelter care hearing and pursuant to these rules, direct that a juvenile be placed in an appropriate facility.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official New Jersey Rules of Court, Part V (N.J. Ct. R. 5:21-6). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 8, 2026. · Official source
Also known as: post-complaint detentionlater detentionshelter care hearing