Egan v. M. S.

310 N.W.2d 719, 1981 N.D. LEXIS 328
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 5, 1981
DocketCiv. 9994
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 310 N.W.2d 719 (Egan v. M. S.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Egan v. M. S., 310 N.W.2d 719, 1981 N.D. LEXIS 328 (N.D. 1981).

Opinions

ERICKSTAD, Chief Justice.

M. S. appeals from an order of disposition issued by the Juvenile Court of Stutsman County on February 10, 1981, placing him under the care, custody, and control of the superintendent of the State Industrial School for a period of two years or until he attains the age of 18. This appeal is brought under Chapter 27 — 20, N.D.C.C., which provides that appeals may be taken from a final order, judgment, or decree of the juvenile court to this court.

On January 19, 1981, a petition was filed in the Juvenile Court of Stutsman County which alleged that M. S. was a delinquent child because he and another juvenile had committed the offense of robbery. At a hearing held on February 3, 1981, the juvenile court determined that M. S. was a delinquent child. No issue was raised on this appeal with respect to the finding of delinquency at the accusatory stage of these proceedings.

The issue raised on this appeal involves the disposition stage of the proceedings in the juvenile court. M. S. contends that his commitment to the State Industrial School was not justified by the evidence.

The proceedings in the juvenile court were held under the provisions of the Uniform Juvenile Court Act, Chapter 27-20, N.D.C.C. An appeal taken under that act is triable anew in this court. In re Walter, 172 N.W.2d 603, 604 (N.D.1969); In the Interest of S. J., 304 N.W.2d 685, 686 (N.D.1981). Because our scope of review under Chapter 27-20, N.D.C.C., is equivalent to former procedure of trial de novo, we do not apply the “clearly erroneous” test of Rule 52(a) of the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure. In the Interest of M. D. J., 285 N.W.2d 558, 559 (N.D.1979). Despite the fact that we do not apply the clearly erroneous rule, we do give appreciable weight to the findings of the juvenile court. § 27-20-56, N.D.C.C.

[721]*721Two issues are presented for our consideration. The first is whether or not the juvenile court’s order committing M. S. to the State Industrial School was proper. After a careful examination of the facts, we conclude that the order of disposition of the juvenile court was improper and therefore reverse and remand.

The second issue is whether or not M. S. is entitled to attorneys’ fees from Stutsman County on appeal. The juvenile court, upon motion for court-appointed counsel, held that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the motion. We reverse and hold that the juvenile court continues to have jurisdiction for the limited purpose of hearing and deciding that motion.

The question of disposition in juvenile proceedings has been considered by this court in several cases. The test in arriving at an order of disposition of a delinquent child, stated most simply, is as follows: What are the best interests of the child and the State of North Dakota? In re Walter, 172 N.W.2d 603, 604-05 (N.D.1969); In Interest of S. J., 304 N.W.2d 685, 686 (N.D.1981).

Prior to the enactment of the Uniform Juvenile Court Act, this court discussed the rationale for considering the best interests of the child and state, as follows:

“Was the order committing [the delinquent child] to the State Training School for his best interests and for the best interests of the State of North Dakota?...
“We realize that proper disposition of cases of juvenile delinquency requires a delicate balancing of mixed considerations and that even the most careful weighing of pertinent factors can only result in conclusions that are speculative to the extent that they attempt to predict the course of future events. Confidence that a correct conclusion has been reached must of necessity rest upon hope founded in experience, rather than on certainty. We think therefore that the problem should be approached in a spirit of optimism and that drastic remedies should not be invoked where we can have reasonable hope that lesser ones will have an equal if not a complete success.
“What then are the factors to be considered and what relative weight is to be given to each? To what extent is the welfare of an individual delinquent to be counterbalanced by the good of the state? In one sense, a decision, which will help quiet public indignation over a scandalous condition which has arisen in a community, or which, because of its severity, will act as a forbidding example to other youngsters, may be said to be for the good of the state. But we do not think that, as used in the juvenile act, the phrase can be given such a broad interpretation. Considerations of expediency, the satisfaction of public indignation, or example are contrary to the whole spirit of the juvenile act. They are dependent on publicity to be effective for any purpose and all proceedings in juvenile court are declared by statute to be “confidential”. Section 27-1606, R.C. 1943. We therefore hold that the good of the State requires a child to be removed from a community only when his delinquency is such that he has become a danger to society either because of his own conduct or his influence upon others.” State v. Myers, 74 N.D. 297, 22 N.W.2d 199, 201 (1946).

That rationale and test prevailed through 1969 when the Uniform Juvenile Court Act was adopted by the North Dakota State Legislature. In re Walter, 172 N.W.2d 603, 604-05 (1969). The purposes of the Uniform Act as described in Section 27-20-01, N.D.C.C., are in harmony with the rationale found in previous opinions of this court:

“27-20-01. Interpretation. — This chapter shall be construed to effectuate the following public purposes:
1. To provide for the care, protection, and wholesome moral, mental, and physical development of children coming within its provisions;
2. Consistent with the protection of the public interest, to remove from children committing delinquent acts the taint of criminality and the conse[722]*722quences of criminal behavior and to substitute therefor a program of treatment, training and rehabilitation;
3. To achieve the foregoing purposes in a family environment whenever possible, separating the child from his parents only when necessary for his welfare or in the interest of public safety;” (Emphasis added.)

The test remains: What are the best interests of the child and the State? In Interest of S. J., 304 N.W.2d 685, 686 (1981).

In the instant case, then, we have reviewed the evidence proffered at the dis-positional hearing and considered the best interests of the child and the state with a view to achieving those interests in a family environment.

The juvenile court expressed its opinion that M. S.

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Related

Matter of Welfare of CAW
579 N.W.2d 494 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1998)
Egan v. M. S.
310 N.W.2d 719 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
310 N.W.2d 719, 1981 N.D. LEXIS 328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/egan-v-m-s-nd-1981.