In Matter of Tyrek S.

702 A.2d 466, 118 Md. App. 270, 1997 Md. App. LEXIS 175
CourtCourt of Special Appeals of Maryland
DecidedNovember 6, 1997
Docket335, Sept. Term, 1997
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 702 A.2d 466 (In Matter of Tyrek S.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Special Appeals of Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Matter of Tyrek S., 702 A.2d 466, 118 Md. App. 270, 1997 Md. App. LEXIS 175 (Md. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

EYLER, Judge.

Appellant, Tyrek S., is a juvenile who was found to have committed a delinquent act based on the unauthorized use of a vehicle. Following a hearing on restitution, appellant took exception to recommendations by a master. The Circuit Court for Baltimore County, sitting as a juvenile court, approved the recommendations of the master and overruled the exceptions. This appeal followed. We affirm.

FACTS

On August 8, 1996, appellant and another person were passengers in a vehicle that collided with a car being driven by *272 Daniel Gaff. On August 9,1996, the State filed a delinquency petition/complaint for restitution against appellant. At a hearing on September 6, 1996, a master entered a finding of delinquency against appellant for the unauthorized use and destruction of the vehicle and recommended that he be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice for placement. The Circuit Court for Baltimore County, sitting as a juvenile court, approved the master’s finding and recommendation and entered an order to that effect on the same date.

At a restitution hearing held on September 23, 1996, the State indicated that it was seeking restitution on behalf of the following entities: (1) GEICO Insurance Co., the insurer of the vehicle used without authorization; (2) Communications Construction Co. (“CCC”), the owner of the vehicle driven by Mr. Gaff; and (3) Royal Insurance Co., CCC’s insurer. Appellant’s counsel objected to all evidence of damages regarding the vehicle driven by Mr. Gaff on the basis that Mr. Gaff was only named as a witness on the delinquency petition, and not as a victim. The master overruled appellant’s objection, and observed that Mr. Gaff, his employer, and his employer’s insurance company, were victims that suffered pecuniary losses as a result of appellant’s delinquent act.

Appellant testified that he was 16 years old, had an eighth grade education, had no assets, and made $42 in 1996. Based on this testimony, appellant’s counsel argued that her client lacked the means to pay any restitution. Considering the age and circumstances of appellant, the master recommended that appellant make restitution in the following amounts: (1) $8,744 to GEICO; (2) $500 to CCC; and (3) $656 to Royal Insurance.

On October 11,1996, appellant’s counsel filed written exceptions to two of the master’s recommendations relating to restitution and requested a hearing. At the exceptions hearing before the juvenile court on January 28, 1997, appellant’s counsel raised only one exception. She argued that no restitution award should have been entered in favor of CCC and Royal Insurance because Mr. Gaff was not named in the delinquency petition as a victim. A second exception regard *273 ing appellant’s lack of a present ability to pay restitution was abandoned. On March 4,1997, the juvenile court, finding that appellant’s counsel had adequate time to prepare and contest the restitution awards of CCC and Royal Insurance, overruled the exceptions.

QUESTIONS PRESENTED

Appellant presents two questions for our consideration which, as rephrased by us for clarity, are:

1. Did the juvenile court err in awarding restitution to a victim not named in a delinquency petition?

2. Did the juvenile court err in finding that appellant had the ability to pay restitution?

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The standard of appellate review this court must apply in a juvenile delinquency matter is governed by Maryland Rule 8-131CC). 1 Absent clear error, an appellate court will not set aside the judgment of the trial court. In re Timothy F., 343 Md. 371, 380, 681 A.2d 501 (1996); In re Antoine H., 319 Md. 101, 107-108, 570 A.2d 1239 (1990).

DISCUSSION

Appellant contends (1) that the juvenile court erred in ordering appellant to pay restitution to a victim not named in the delinquency petition, and (2) that he should not pay restitution because he does not have the present ability to do so. The State contends (1) that the juvenile court did not err in awarding restitution to CCC and Royal Insurance, and (2) that appellant’s second issue was not properly preserved and, *274 therefore, need not be considered by this court. We agree with the State and affirm the judgment of the juvenile court.

I.

Preliminarily we note the following. First, appellant is not challenging his adjudication of delinquency with respect to the unauthorized use and destruction of the vehicle. Second, appellant does not raise any issue with respect to actual notice. The juvenile court noted that, on September 6, 1996, appellant’s counsel was put on notice that at the restitution hearing to be held on September 23, 1996, the master would address the issue of restitution with respect to Mr. Gaff, CCC, and Royal Insurance. Furthermore, at the exceptions hearing in juvenile court, appellant’s counsel conceded that, although she disagreed with the master’s decision to consider awarding restitution to CCC and Royal Insurance, she had enough time to prepare an opposition with respect to that consideration. Consequently, consideration of appellant’s first question is narrowly limited to whether the State followed proper pleading procedures with respect to the delinquency petition.

On August 9, 1996, the State filed a delinquency petition pursuant to section 3-810(e)(4)(ii) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. 2 The contents of a delinquency petition are governed by section 3-812(a). 3 The State alleged that appellant was a *275 delinquent and set forth facts relevant to the unauthorized use and destruction of the vehicle. In so doing, the State identified Benjamin Blum, the owner of the stolen vehicle, as the victim and identified Mr. Gaff as a witness to the accident.

Appellant spends a significant portion of his argument defining the word “victim.” For our purposes, we focus on the definition of victim as provided by section 3-801(t)(l). 4 This provision defines victim as “a person who suffers direct or threatened physical, emotional, or financial harm as a result of a delinquent act.” A straightforward application of this definition to Mr. Gaff indicates that he is a victim. In other words, it is undisputed that Mr. Gaff suffered pecuniary losses as a result of appellant’s delinquent act.

Before addressing the pleading issue specifically, we note that, according to Md.Code, art. 27, section 808(a)(l)(i), the juvenile court has the statutory authority to enter a judgment against a child that has: (1) committed a delinquent act; and (2) the act has resulted in the destruction of another person’s property. 5 This Court has explained that:

[Tjhree findings ...

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702 A.2d 466, 118 Md. App. 270, 1997 Md. App. LEXIS 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-matter-of-tyrek-s-mdctspecapp-1997.