Juvenile court records.

Existing law generally subjects any person under 18 years of age who commits a crime to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge that person to be a ward of the court. Under existing law, juvenile court proceedings to declare a minor a ward of the court are commenced by the filing of a petition by the probation officer, the district attorney after consultation with the probation officer, or the prosecuting attorney, as specified. Existing law requires a judge of the juvenile court to dismiss a petition if the ward satisfactorily completes an informal program of supervision or a term of probation, as specified. Existing law requires the court to order sealed all records pertaining to the dismissed petition in the custody of the juvenile court, and in the custody of law enforcement agencies, the probation department, or the Department of Justice. Existing law authorizes the sealed records of juveniles to be accessed, inspected, or utilized only under limited circumstances, including by the person whose record has been sealed. This bill would additionally authorize those records to be accessed, inspected, or utilized by the probation department, the prosecuting attorney, counsel for the minor, and the court for the purpose of assessing the minor's competency in the proceedings on a subsequent petition against the minor if the issue of competency has been raised in those proceedings. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 786 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 2321 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2321 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.