Florida Statutes
Fla. Stat. § 985.721 (2025)
Escapes from secure detention or residential commitment facility.
✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
FL-LEGleg.state.fl.us
JustiaFla. Statutes
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
985.721 Escapes from secure detention or residential commitment facility.—An escape from:
(1) Any secure detention facility maintained for the temporary detention of children, pending adjudication, disposition, or placement;
(2) Any residential commitment facility described in s. 985.03(44), maintained for the custody, treatment, punishment, or rehabilitation of children found to have committed delinquent acts or violations of law; or
(3) Lawful transportation to or from any such secure detention facility or residential commitment facility,
constitutes escape within the intent and meaning of s. 944.40 and is a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
History.—s. 5, ch. 90-208; s. 13, ch. 92-287; s. 52, ch. 94-209; s. 12, ch. 95-152; s. 3, ch. 96-398; s. 113, ch. 97-238; s. 4, ch. 98-207; s. 59, ch. 98-280; s. 163, ch. 98-403; s. 136, ch. 99-3; s. 30, ch. 99-284; s. 41, ch. 2000-135; s. 41, ch. 2001-64; s. 18, ch. 2005-263; s. 99, ch. 2006-120; s. 3, ch. 2010-123; s. 9, ch. 2012-56; s. 44, ch. 2014-162; s. 32, ch. 2024-133.
Note.—Former s. 39.061; s. 944.401; s. 985.3141.
Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 985.721
M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd§985.721(1)ESCAPECHILD ESCAPE FROM SECURE DETENTION FACILITY
§985.721(2)ESCAPECHILD ESCAPE FROM RESIDENTL COMMITMT FACILITY
§985.721(3)ESCAPECHILD ESCAPE FROM TRANSPORT TO/FROM FACILITY
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2011–2025 · leading case: V.r.j., a Minor v. State of Florida (Fla. 4th DCA 2020).
V.r.j., a Minor v. State of Florida (Fla. 4th DCA 2020). “Based on those undisputed facts, the motion argued section 985.721 did not apply to the juvenile’s conduct, and although other remedies were available for the juvenile’s conduct, “as a matter of law escape is not the remedy herein.”
Lacey v. State, 114 So. 3d 452 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013). “In contrast, section 985.721, Florida Statutes (2010), “deals with escape attempts, as defined by section 944.”
Christopher Allen Pryor v. State of Florida (Fla. 2025). “061 has since been renumbered as section 985.721, Florida Statutes (2024).”
TH v. State, 62 So. 3d 1279 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011). “" § 985.721(3), Fla. Stat. (2009). Accordingly, we vacate the disposition below and remand for dismissal.”
T.H. v. State, 62 So. 3d 1279 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011). “” § 985.721(3), Fla. Stat. (2009). Accordingly, we vacate the disposition below and remand for dismissal.”
United States v. Antwon Stuckey, 499 F. App'x 862 (11th Cir. 2012). “In 2006, the state legislature amended and renumbered this statute as Fla. Stat. Ann. § 985.721 .”
— 985.721(3) — 4 cases
V.r.j., a Minor v. State of Florida (Fla. 4th DCA 2020). “Based on those undisputed facts, the motion argued section 985.721 did not apply to the juvenile’s conduct, and although other remedies were available for the juvenile’s conduct, “as a matter of law escape is not the remedy herein.”
TH v. State, 62 So. 3d 1279 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011). “" § 985.721(3), Fla. Stat. (2009). Accordingly, we vacate the disposition below and remand for dismissal.”
T.H. v. State, 62 So. 3d 1279 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011). “” § 985.721(3), Fla. Stat. (2009). Accordingly, we vacate the disposition below and remand for dismissal.”
Lacey v. State, 114 So. 3d 452 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013). “In contrast, section 985.721, Florida Statutes (2010), “deals with escape attempts, as defined by section 944.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.