In Re Christopher Bibbs Jr

CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 28, 2023
Docket362217
StatusUnpublished

This text of In Re Christopher Bibbs Jr (In Re Christopher Bibbs Jr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Christopher Bibbs Jr, (Mich. Ct. App. 2023).

Opinion

If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.

STATE OF MICHIGAN

COURT OF APPEALS

In re CHRISTOPHER BIBBS, JR., Minor.

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, UNPUBLISHED September 28, 2023 Petitioner-Appellee,

V No. 362217 Wayne Circuit Court CHRISTOPHER BIBBS, JR., Family Division LC No. 2016-522864-DJ Respondent-Appellant.

Before: SHAPIRO, P.J., and M.J. KELLY and CAMERON, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Respondent appeals by right the trial court’s May 27, 2022 judgment of sentence, which revoked an earlier order delaying sentence, and imposed a sentence of 50 to 120 months’ imprisonment, with credit for 1,489 days served, for a 2016 carjacking conviction, MCL 750.529a.1 For the reasons stated in this opinion, we affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

In two separate incidents in the summer of 2016, respondent, then 14 years old, and another juvenile allegedly committed carjackings. The prosecution filed two petitions, each alleging that respondent committed one count of carjacking, MCL 750.529a, and one count of armed robbery, MCL 750.529. The petitions asserted that respondent came within the jurisdiction of the family division of the circuit court under MCL 712A.2.2 Pursuant to MCL 712A.2d(1), the prosecution

1 As used in this opinion, “trial court” or “court” refers to the family division of the circuit court unless a different tribunal is specified. See MCR 3.903(4); MCL 712A.1(e). 2 Under MCL 712A.2(a)(1), “The court has jurisdiction over a juvenile 14 years of age or older who is charged with a specified juvenile violation only if the prosecuting attorney files a petition

-1- designated respondent to be tried as an adult.3 Respondent and his juvenile codefendant eventually pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking in one petition in exchange for dismissal of the other counts and the other petition. The trial court accepted respondent’s plea and entered a judgment of conviction.

In October 2016, the trial court held a dispositional hearing4 and formulated a sentence of 35 to 180 months’ imprisonment for respondent’s carjacking conviction. However, the trial court delayed imposing the sentence, and ordered that respondent be subject to juvenile probation in a level-two (out-of-home) placement. See MCL 712A.18(1)(o).5 The terms of his probation included that respondent not violate the criminal law of any unit of government.

Respondent was thereafter placed in a secure level-two residential facility, where he received therapeutic and educational services. By February 2018, he successfully completed the program requirements, and the trial court, pursuant to a petition, deescalated respondent to placement in a nonsecure facility.6 In September 2018, after completing the nonsecure facility’s

in the court instead of authorizing a complaint and warrant.” Carjacking, MCL 750.529a, is a specified juvenile violation. See MCL 712A.2d(9)(a); MCR 3.903(D)(8)(k). 3 Under MCL 712A.2d(1), “In a petition or amended petition alleging that a juvenile is within the court’s jurisdiction under [MCL 712A.2(a)(1)] for a specified juvenile violation, the prosecuting attorney may designate the case as a case in which the juvenile is to be tried in the same manner as an adult.” See also MCR 3.903(D)(6). 4 “A dispositional hearing is conducted to determine what measures the court will take with respect to a juvenile . . . once the court has determined following trial or plea that the juvenile has committed an offense.” MCR 3.943(A). Following a conviction of a violation of a designated offense, including carjacking, MCL 750.529a, the trial court must enter a disposition or impose sentence. MCL 712A.2d(8); MCR 3.955(A). 5 Under MCL 712A.18(1)(o), “[t]he court may delay imposing a sentence of imprisonment . . . for a period not longer than the period during which the court has jurisdiction over the juvenile . . . by entering an order of disposition delaying imposition of sentence and placing the juvenile on probation upon the terms and conditions it considers appropriate . . . .” See also MCR 3.955(D). If the court orders a delayed sentence, it retains jurisdiction to impose an adult sentence. See MCL 712A.18i(1). The court may commit the juvenile to a “public institution, county facility, institution operated as an agency of the court or county, or agency authorized by law to receive juveniles . . . .” MCL 712A.18(1)(e). 6 A trial court with jurisdiction over a juvenile must hold periodic dispositional review hearings. See MCR 3.945(A); MCL 712A.18d. Additionally, under MCL 712A.18i, which applies if the trial court delays imposing sentence, MCL 712A.18(1)(o), the court is required to periodically review the juvenile’s probation, including the services provided, placement, and progress, and to determine whether the juvenile has been rehabilitated or presents a serious risk to public safety. MCL 712A.18i(2) (“The court may order changes in the juvenile’s probation based on the review including but not limited to imposition of the sentence.”) and (3) (“[T]he court shall conduct a

-2- program requirements, respondent was further deescalated to placement in his mother’s home, with continued services in place.7

Beginning in December 2018, respondent began testing positive for marijuana. Several months later, he stopped complying with drug screens altogether and was no longer meeting with his case manager. In November 2019, respondent, who was then 17 years old, “went AWOL” (absent without leave of the court) in violation of his probation after failing to appear at two court hearings and a psychiatric evaluation. In response to a petition filed by respondent’s case manager, the trial court authorized level-two probation for inpatient substance abuse treatment. Subsequently, the court ordered that respondent be apprehended and detained. Respondent remained AWOL for approximately 16 months.

During his AWOL status, respondent was arrested in Detroit, in March 2021, and charged with domestic violence, which, according to respondent’s mother, stemmed from an altercation between respondent and the mother of his child. Respondent’s arrest resulted in adult felony charges in Wayne Circuit Court, including two counts of felonious assault, MCL 750.82, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, MCL 750.227b.8 Additionally, in December 2020 or January 2021, respondent was arrested in Ohio on other felony charges.

In August 2021, the trial court held a hearing to determine whether to extend its jurisdiction over respondent until he turned 21.9 At that time, respondent, then 19 years old, remained detained on the felony charges pending in Wayne Circuit Court, and also had a “writ of apprehension” for the outstanding Ohio charges. Respondent’s attorney moved to dismiss his juvenile case on the basis that he had attained age 19 and had pending matters in adult court, while the prosecution asked the court to extend its jurisdiction over respondent and impose a sentence under MCL 712A.18i(3) and (7). The trial court extended its jurisdiction over respondent until he reached age 21, explaining that respondent “was adjudicated on a serious offense, carjacking, he did not complete probationary services, he went AWOL from court jurisdiction, and has incurred multiple police contacts and 2 arrests[.]” The trial court further contended that respondent “ha[d] not been rehabilitated and continue[d] to present a serious risk to public safety.” The trial court did not

review hearing to determine whether the juvenile has been rehabilitated and whether the juvenile presents a serious risk to public safety.”). See also MCR 3.956(A)(1)(a)(i).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. Petty
665 N.W.2d 443 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2003)
People v. Snow
194 N.W.2d 314 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1972)
Miller v. Alabama
132 S. Ct. 2455 (Supreme Court, 2012)
People v. Fawaz
829 N.W.2d 259 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2012)
People v. Skinner
917 N.W.2d 292 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
In Re Christopher Bibbs Jr, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-christopher-bibbs-jr-michctapp-2023.