Edward M. v. O'Neill

436 A.2d 628, 291 Pa. Super. 531, 1981 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3547
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 16, 1981
Docket1502 and 1858-1860
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 436 A.2d 628 (Edward M. v. O'Neill) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edward M. v. O'Neill, 436 A.2d 628, 291 Pa. Super. 531, 1981 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3547 (Pa. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinions

CAVANAUGH, Judge:

The dispute in this case concerns the legality of Philadelphia Police Department Directive 95 which concerns juveniles in police custody and which established procedures for the fingerprinting and photographing of juvenile arrestees over fifteen years of age. On August 21, 1979, the Honorable Paul A. Dandridge, sitting in Juvenile Court, granted motions to expunge all fingerprint and photograph records obtained from juvenile defendants Vander Clayborne and Ronald Forrest pursuant to Directive 95. The Commonwealth’s appeals from these orders are captioned and docketed as follows: In the Interest of Vander Clayborne, No. 1858 October Term, 1979; In the Interest of Ronald Forrest, No. 1859 October Term, 1979. On August 22, 1979, Judge Dandrige entered an Injunctive Order requiring the immediate cessation of the implementation of Directive 95. The Commonwealth’s appeal from this order is captioned and docketed as In the Matters of McCullough, et al., No. 1860 October Term, 1979.

[535]*535We ordered these appeals consolidated with the appeal in the case of Edward M. et a 1. v. O’Neill, et al., No. 1502 October Term, 1979. In that case the Honorable John J. McDevitt, III, sitting in equity, entered an order refusing to preliminarily enjoin the implementation of Directive 95. All of the orders appealed from have been stayed pending disposition of these appeals.

Directive 95 provides, in pertinent part, as follows:
SUBJECT: JUVENILES IN POLICE CUSTODY
I. POLICY
D. Juveniles 15 years of age and older who are taken into custody for the following offenses will be fingerprinted and photographed in accordance with the procedures outlined in this directive.
1. Murder
2. Retail Theft (only juveniles 16 and 17 years of age)
3. Manslaughter
4. Attempted Murder
5. Aggravated Assault
6. Kidnapping
7. Rape
8. Robbery
9. Burglary
10. Auto Theft
11. Arson of Occupied Premises
12. Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse
13. Perjury
14. Tampering with a Witness
15. Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act
16. All Bench Warrants
17. Escape
IV. FINGERPRINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHING OF JUVENILES
A. All juveniles arrested for the offenses listed in Section I will be fingerprinted and photographed by CCTV [536]*536personnel in the division wherein they were arrested prior to release or delivery to the Youth Study Center. Exception: Juveniles arrested for the offenses listed in Section I are to be processed at the Police Detention Unit, when the investigation is conducted in Detective headquarters.
1. Juveniles arrested in divisions without CCTV facilities will be transported to a division with CCTY as directed in Appendix “A”. In these cases the juvenile will be investigated in the division of arrest. At the conclusion of the investigation the juvenile will be transported for processing. The juvenile will then be released to his parents at the district where he/she was processed, or delivered to the Youth Study Center. EXAMPLE: Juvenile arrested in 6th District. Investigated at 20th & Pennsylvania. Processed at 24th & Wolf. Released to parents at 24th & Wolf.
B. The assigned Juvenile Aid Division investigator will ensure that the juvenile is properly processed and released and that the necessary reports are properly prepared and distributed.

At the time Directive 95 was implemented there was no express statutory authority permitting the Philadelphia Police Department to fingerprint and photograph juveniles. Thus in both of the appeals before us the authority of the police to initiate such proceedings is challenged. Since the filing of the appeals in the instant case, legislation has been enacted specifically authorizing the fingerprinting and photographing of juveniles. 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 6308(c) provides:

§ 6308. Law enforcement records66
4« 4s 4s 4s 4s 4=
(c) Fingerprints and photographs.—
(1) Law enforcement officers shall have the authority to take or cause to be taken the fingerprints or photographs, or both, of any child 15 years of age and older who is alleged to have committed a delinquent act that, but for the application of this chapter, would constitute a felony [537]*537or a violation of Subchapter a of Chapter 61 of Title 18 (relating to uniform firearms act)67.
(2) Fingerprint and photographic records shall not be disseminated to law enforcement officers or other jurisdictions, the Pennsylvania State Police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation unless so ordered by the court.
(3) Fingerprints and photographic records of children shall be immediately destroyed by all persons and agencies having these records if the child is not adjudicated delinquent for reason of the alleged acts.
66 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 6308, subsec. (c).

Thus insofar as the juveniles seek to enjoin the police from continuing the practice of fingerprinting and photographing juveniles no live controversy is presented.1 However, the juveniles claim that these procedures, which are quoted above, violate the Juvenile Act2 and their constitutional rights. Therefore, although we hold that the cases before us are moot as to the issue of authority to fingerprint and photograph juveniles, as seen below the statute does not render the matters before us entirely moot.

I

First we will consider the Commonwealth’s appeals from the orders of Judge Dandridge.

[538]*538A

The action in the lower court was commenced by the filing of petitions to expunge the fingerprint and photograph records of the appellees. Subsequently appellees filed a Motion to Certify a Class Action and a Motion for Intervention. By order of July 24, 1979, both motions were denied. Thereafter Judge Dandridge granted the petitions to expunge. The following day Judge Dandridge stated in an order that Directive 95 is violative of the purposes of the Juvenile Act and that the Philadelphia Police Department shall immediately cease and desist its practice of fingerprinting and photographing juveniles. In reference to this latter order the Commonwealth argues that the lower court acted in derogation of its judicial responsibility by sua sponte entering an injunctive order. We agree that due to procedural irregularities the cease and desist order must be reversed.

As noted above Judge Dandridge denied appellees’ petition to certify a class action.

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Bluebook (online)
436 A.2d 628, 291 Pa. Super. 531, 1981 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3547, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edward-m-v-oneill-pasuperct-1981.