What Do Juvenile Court Records Include ?

Welfare and Institutions Code section 827, subdivision (a) defined the protected documents as "a petition filed in any juvenile court proceeding, reports of the probation officer, and all other documents filed in that case or made available . . . and thereafter retained . . . ." Rule 1423(a) of the California Rules of Court defines the protected "juvenile court records" TO INCLUDE: (1) all documents filed in a juvenile court case; (2) reports to the court by probation officers, social workers, and special advocates; (3) documents made available to probation officers, social workers, and special advocates in preparation of such reports; (4) documents relating to a child concerning whom a petition has been filed, which are maintained in the office files of probation officers, social workers, and special advocates; (5) transcripts, records, or reports relating to matters prepared or released by the court, probation department, or child welfare program; (6) documents and exhibits admitted into evidence at juvenile court hearings. Juvenile court records may not be disclosed or disseminated except by order of the juvenile court. The juvenile court has exclusive authority to determine the extent to which juvenile court records may be disclosed. (Welf. & Inst. Code, 827; T.N.G. v. Superior Court (1971) 4 Cal. 3d 767, 778 [94 Cal. Rptr. 813, 484 P.2d 981]; In re Keisha T. (1995) 38 Cal. App. 4th 220, 232 [44 Cal. Rptr. 2d 822]; see Parmett v. Superior Court (1989) 212 Cal. App. 3d 1261, 1269 [262 Cal. Rptr. 387].) The fact that Government Code section 19574.1 requires disclosure to disciplined employees of records in the possession of the appointing power is not controlling. To the extent the records are juvenile court records, Welfare and Institutions Code section 827 is deemed the more specific and controlling statute. (Wescott v. County of Yuba (1980) 104 Cal. App. 3d 103, 106 [163 Cal. Rptr. 385] ["Section 827 of the Welfare and Institutions Code expressly covers the confidentiality of juvenile court records and their release to third parties, and is controlling over the Public Records Act to the extent of any conflict." (Fn. omitted.)].)