J.R. v. State

By petition for writ of mandamus, J.R. seeks to compel the trial court to allow him to attend arraignment in person. We hold that an arraignment is a critical stage in a delinquency proceeding and that Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.070, read in conjunction with Florida Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.100(a), requires the juvenile to be present at an arraignment unless the juvenile waives the right to be present or the court finds that the juvenile’s mental or physical condition is such that a court appearance is not in the juvenile’s best interests. Because the arraignment has already…