In re Eric K.

100 Misc. 2d 796, 420 N.Y.S.2d 135, 1979 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2550
CourtNew York City Family Court
DecidedAugust 23, 1979
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 100 Misc. 2d 796 (In re Eric K.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York City Family Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Eric K., 100 Misc. 2d 796, 420 N.Y.S.2d 135, 1979 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2550 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1979).

Opinion

[797]*797OPINION OF THE COURT

Daniel D. Leddy, Jr., J.

On July 31, 1979, a delinquency petition was filed in this court against respondent named herein, pursuant to subdivision 3 of section 731 of the Family Court Act. Said filing was in compliance with a Criminal Court order of removal (by Marra, J.), which, after preliminary hearing, had transferred this matter to the Family Court, pursuant to CPL article 725 and 180.75 (subd 3, par [b]). In accordance with subdivision 6 of section 254-a of the Family Court Act, the District Attorney appeared in support of the petition; respondent, who was subject to a Criminal Court securing order, was brought before this court and assigned a Law Guardian. (Family Ct Act, § 249.)

Since a parent or guardian did not appear with respondent at the arraignment of the instant petition, it was necessary to adjourn this matter until August 3, 1979, and to issue summonses for respondent’s parents. On the adjourned date, however, it was discovered that respondent was in placement at the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, Staten Island, New York. Consequently, a caseworker from the mission appeared at that time as respondent’s guardian.

It also should be noted that on July 31, 1979, the Criminal Court securing order was vacated by this court (Family Ct Act, § 739, subd [c]) and respondent was remanded to the Commissioner of the Juvenile Justice Agency for secure detention. On August 2, 1979, this remand was continued until today upon the consent of the Law Guardian.

On August 3, 1979, the Law Guardian, by oral motion, requested that the court dismiss these proceedings, charging that the instant petition is defective on its face, since it fails to fulfill the statutory requirements of CPL 725.05 (subd 2), and thus gives respondent inadequate notice of the charges now pending against him in the above-captioned matter. This motion is presently before the court and is the subject of this decision.

In support of his application for an order of dismissal, respondent cites that language of CPL 725.05 (subd 2) which directs that a court, upon removing an action or charge to the Family Court in accordance with CPL 180.75 (subd 3, par [b]), must issue an order of removal specifying the "act or acts it found reasonable cause to believe the defendant did.” Respon[798]*798dent argues that the order of removal filed herein lacks the specificity which the Legislature intended such orders to possess. He further argues that such specificity is absolutely necessary if the subject procedures are to conform to the constitutional standard of due process notice. Otherwise, it is his contention that a respondent would receive insufficient notice as to any allegations brought against him in a postremoval delinquency petition originated pursuant to subdivision 3 of section 731 of the Family Court Act.

In opposition to the instant motion, petitioner refers the court to the definition of a postremoval delinquency petition as found in subdivision 3 of section 731 of the Family Court Act, which reads in relevant part: "When an order of removal pursuant to article seven hundred twenty-five of the criminal procedure law is filed with the clerk of the court such order and the pleadings and proceedings transferred with it shall be and shall be deemed to be a petition filed pursuant to subdivision one of this section containing all of the allegations therein required notwithstanding that such allegations may not be set forth in the manner therein prescribed.” Petitioner therefore argues that even if the order of removal is not in a form sufficient to give respondent adequate notice of the delinquency allegations filed against him (a point which petitioner simply assumes, arguendo, without conceding), there still exists in the very operation of the statute a remedy for this technical, and presumably harmless, defect. For it is asserted that since a postremoval delinquency petition is constituted not only by the order of removal, but also by the Criminal or Supreme Court pleadings and proceedings (cf. CPL 725.05, subd 8), any deficiency as to notice in the order will be cured by these additional papers.

Upon the arguments of counsel and its own review of the statutes and cases, the court concludes that the subject order of removal is statutorily defective, rendering the instant petition constitutionally infirm for not providing a notice of charges which conforms to acceptable standards of procedural due process.

As a threshold observation, the court must emphasize that although respondent’s attack of the petition is admittedly based upon a technicality, it cannot be held that this is a "mere technicality”. Precedence for this conclusion can be found in the rather strong language of the Court of Appeals in People v Zambounis (251 NY 94). In referring to a defendant’s [799]*799right to notice, the court states (p 97): "The requirement that an indictment and an information must state the crime with which a defendant is charged, and the particular acts constituting that crime is more than a technicality; it is a fundamental, a basic principle of justice and fair dealing, as well as a rule of law.”

In formulating removal procedures as part of its over-all plan for the treatment of the juvenile offender/delinquent (L 1978, ch 481), it must be presumed that the Legislature had studied and considered the potential confusion inherent in this new bifurcated system, as well as any and all threats to an accused juvenile’s procedural due process rights created thereby. (Hotel Dorset Co. v Trust for Cultural Resources of City of N. Y., 46 NY2d 358, 370; Matter of Van Berkel v Power, 16 NY2d 37, 40; I.L.F.Y. Co. v Temporary State Housing Rent Comm., 10 NY2d 263, app dsmd 369 US 795.) Therefore, it can only be concluded that the legislative intent was to incorporate certain well-defined safeguards into the removal process so that it might jealously protect those constitutional rights it had readily recognized. Anything less than strict adherence to these statutory procedures would violate the Legislature’s purpose and intent.

Consequently, the court must place a narrow construction upon CPL 725.05 (subd 2) and subdivision 3 of section 731 of the Family Court Act. These statutes can only be viewed as embodying the Legislature’s understanding of a juvenile respondent’s constitutional right "to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation” (US Const, Arndts VI, XIV) which remains outstanding against him after removal. (See, also, Matter of Gault, 387 US 1; Albrecht v United States, 273 US 1.) Furthermore, as pointed out in Matter of Gregory W. (19 NY2d 55), a delinquency proceeding is at the very least quasi-criminal in nature and the due process rights afforded criminal defendants should apply to such proceedings. (See, also, Matter of Edgar L., 66 Misc 2d 142, 144; Family Ct Act, §§ 711, 741.) Therefore, the order of removal, as part of the delinquency petition under subdivision 3 of section 731 of the Family Court Act must provide a clear and precise statement of the nature and cause of the Family Court proceedings to be commenced. In the words of CPL 725.05 (subd 2), it must specify the act or acts which the Criminal Court found reasonable cause to believe the defendant/respondent committed. The language is analogous to that found in CPL 100.15 con[800]*800cerning the form and content of an information and a misdemeanor or felony complaint.

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Bluebook (online)
100 Misc. 2d 796, 420 N.Y.S.2d 135, 1979 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2550, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-eric-k-nycfamct-1979.