Wisconsin Code § 48.20

Release or delivery of child from custody
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(2)
(ag) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (d), a person taking a child
into custody shall make every effort to release the child immediately to the child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, or Indian
custodian.
(b) If the child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, or Indian
custodian is unavailable, unwilling, or unable to provide supervision for the child, the person who took the child into custody may
release the child to a responsible adult after counseling or warning the child as may be appropriate.
(c) If the child is 15 years of age or older, the person who took
the child into custody may release the child without immediate
adult supervision after counseling or warning the child as may be
appropriate.
(d) If the child is a runaway, the person who took the child
into custody may release the child to a home authorized under s.
48.227.
(3) If the child is released under sub. (2) (b) to (d), the person
who took the child into custody shall immediately notify the
child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, and Indian custodian of
the time and circumstances of the release and the person, if any,
to whom the child was released. If the child is not released under
sub. (2), the person who took the child into custody shall arrange
in a manner determined by the court and law enforcement agencies for the child to be interviewed by the intake worker under s.
48.067 (2) . The person who took the child into custody shall
make a statement in writing with supporting facts of the reasons
why the child was taken into physical custody and shall give a
copy of the statement to the intake worker and to any child 12
years of age or older. If the intake interview is not done in person,
the report may be read to the intake worker.
(4) If the child is believed to be suffering from a serious physical condition which requires either prompt diagnosis or prompt
treatment, the person taking the child into physical custody, the
intake worker or other appropriate person shall deliver the child
to a hospital as defined in s. 50.33 (2) (a) and (c) or physician’s
office.
(4m) If the child is an expectant mother and if the unborn
child or child expectant mother is believed to be suffering from a
serious physical condition which requires either prompt diagnosis or prompt treatment, the person taking the child expectant
mother into physical custody, the intake worker or other appropriate person shall deliver the child expectant mother to a hospital as
defined in s. 50.33 (2) (a) and (c) or physician’s office.
(5) If the child is believed to be mentally ill, drug dependent
or developmentally disabled, and exhibits conduct which constitutes a substantial probability of physical harm to the child or to
others, or a very substantial probability of physical impairment or
injury to the child exists due to the impaired judgment of the
child, and the standards of s. 51.15 are met, the person taking the
child into physical custody, the intake worker or other appropriate
person shall proceed under s. 51.15.
(6) If the child is believed to be an intoxicated person who has
threatened, attempted, or inflicted physical harm on himself or
herself or on another and is likely to inflict such physical harm
unless committed, or is incapacitated by alcohol or another drug,
the person taking the child into physical custody, the intake
worker, or other appropriate person shall proceed under s. 51.45
(11).
(7) (a) When a child is interviewed by an intake worker, the
intake worker shall inform any child who is alleged to be in need
of protection or services and who is 12 years of age or older of his
or her right to counsel.
(b) The intake worker shall review the need to hold the child
in custody and shall make every effort to release the child from
custody as provided in par. (c). The intake worker shall base his
or her decision as to whether to release the child or to continue to
hold the child in custody on the criteria specified in s. 48.205 (1)
and criteria established under s. 48.06 (1) or (2).
(c) The intake worker may release the child as follows:
1. To a parent, guardian, legal custodian, or Indian custodian,
or to a responsible adult if the parent, guardian, legal custodian,
or Indian custodian is unavailable, unwilling, or unable to provide
supervision for the child, counseling or warning the child as may
be appropriate; or, if the child is 15 years of age or older, without
immediate adult supervision, counseling or warning the child as
may be appropriate.
2. In the case of a runaway child, to a home authorized under
s. 48.227.
(d) If the child is released from custody, the intake worker
shall immediately notify the child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, and Indian custodian of the time and circumstances of the
release and the person, if any, to whom the child was released.
(8) (a) If a child is held in custody, the intake worker shall notify the child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, and Indian custodian of the reasons for holding the child in custody and of the
child’s whereabouts unless there is reason to believe that notice
would present imminent danger to the child. The parent,
guardian, legal custodian, and Indian custodian shall also be notified of the time and place of the detention hearing required under
s. 48.21, the nature and possible consequences of that hearing,
the right to counsel under s. 48.23, the right to present and crossexamine witnesses at the hearing, and, in the case of a parent or
Indian custodian of an Indian child who is the subject of an Indian child custody proceeding, as defined in s. 48.028 (2) (d) 2.,
the right to counsel under s. 48.028 (4) (b) . If the parent,

guardian, legal custodian, or Indian custodian is not immediately
available, the intake worker or another person designated by the
court shall provide notice as soon as possible. When the child is
12 years of age or older, the child shall receive the same notice
about the detention hearing as the parent, guardian, legal custodian, or Indian custodian. The intake worker shall notify both the
child and the child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, or Indian
custodian.
(b) If the child is an expectant mother who has been taken into
custody under s. 48.19 (1) (cm) or (d) 8. , the unborn child’s
guardian ad litem shall receive the same notice about the whereabouts of the child expectant mother, about the reasons for holding the child expectant mother in custody, and about the detention
hearing as the child expectant mother and her parent, guardian,
legal custodian, or Indian custodian. The intake worker shall notify the child expectant mother, her parent, guardian, legal custodian, or Indian custodian, and the unborn child’s guardian ad
litem.

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