In Re the Appeal in Pima County, Juvenile Action No. 35834-1

509 P.2d 1047, 20 Ariz. App. 10, 1973 Ariz. App. LEXIS 611
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMay 15, 1973
Docket2 CA-CIV 1406
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 509 P.2d 1047 (In Re the Appeal in Pima County, Juvenile Action No. 35834-1) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re the Appeal in Pima County, Juvenile Action No. 35834-1, 509 P.2d 1047, 20 Ariz. App. 10, 1973 Ariz. App. LEXIS 611 (Ark. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

KRUCKER, Judge.

This appeal questions the correctness of a juvenile court order refusing to suspend criminal prosecution of a minor and ordering him transferred for prosecution as an adult. Appellant claims that there were no reasonable grounds to believe (1) he was not amenable to treatment or rehabilitation and (2) that he was not commitable to an institution for mentally deficient or mentally ill persons.

Pursuant to Rule 14, Rules of Juvenile Court, 17 A.R.S., the court made the requisite finding of probable cause (not challenged on appeal) and also found that the minor was not amenable to treatment or rehabilitation as a delinquent child through available facilities, that he was not commitable to an institution for mentally deficient, mentally defective or mentally ill persons, and that the safety or interests of the public required that he be transferred for criminal prosecution. Also in accordance with said Rule, the court stated its reasons:

“1. The minor will reach his 18th birthday on the 12 day of April 1973, approximately 45 days from the date of transfer. At that time the jurisdiction of the juvenile court or juvenile division of the Department of Corrections would cease.
2. The minor is charged with an extremely violent offense that would indicate a need for court services in an excess of the 45 days available if he were found guilty.
3. That by transferring the minor to adult jurisdiction the child would receive the extended court services that a violation of this type would indicate.
4. That there are no rehabilitative services available to the juvenile court or juvenile division of the Department of Corrections that could be effective within the available time frame.
5. That [minor] has been a member of the United States Marine Corps since June of 1972 and by virtue of this has received training and has been treated in the same manner as an adult, therefore treatment as a juvenile would be inappropriate.
6. That because of his enlistment in the Marine Corps the minor has attained the status of an emancipated minor and is solely responsible for his own actions.
7. That rehabilitation of juveniles is generally attempted through use of the family unit and this is impractical in this case because of the minor’s emancipated state and because his family resides out of the jurisdiction.
8. That no evidence has been presented that would indicate any physical or mental disorders.”

Appellant places much reliance on the decision of this court in the case of In re Anonymous, Juvenile Court No. 6358-4, 14 Ariz.App. 466, 484 P.2d 235 (1971) for his contention that the court had no reasonable grounds to support its findings. It is true in that case, as here, the juvenile was 17 years old. There, however, in contrast to the instant case, the juvenile had had numerous prior referrals to juvenile court, had been sent to the Arizona State Hospital for psychological examinations, had been placed on probation and then committed to the State Department of Corrections and sent to Fort Grant four different times. Also, testimony of a psychologist and two psychiatrists, together with a report from the Arizona State Hospital, were presented to the juvenile court concerning the minor’s psychological and psychiatric condition. We stated:

“His past record and the present charges do indeed indicate that he is a menace to society and apparently has not profited at all under the protection of the juvenile system. There comes a time when a minor’s welcome in Juvenile *12 Court is worn out and he must understand that if he continually refuses to be receptive to treatment under the juvenile system and continues to be an irresponsible person, the only alternative left for the Juvenile Court is to transfer him to the adult court for criminal prosecution.
This minor has had too many bites from the apple and the court was well justified in ordering a transfer.” 14 Ariz.App. at 475, 484 P.2d at 244.

We do not construe this former decision, as appellant would have us do, as setting forth minimal standards of evidence upon which to base a transfer order. In Kent v. United States, 383 U.S. 541, 86 S.Ct. 1045, 16 L.Ed.2d 84 (1966), the landmark decision on waiver of juvenile court jurisdiction, the United States Supreme Court set forth the following determinative factors to be considered on a transfer hearing:

1. The seriousness of the alleged offense to the community and whether protection of the community requires waiver.
2. Whether the alleged offense was committed in an aggressive, violent, premeditated or wilful manner.
3. Whether the alleged offense was against persons or against property, greater weight being given to offenses against persons especially if personal injury resulted.
4. The prosecutive merit of the complaint. .
5. The desirability of trial and disposition of the entire offense in one court when the juvenile’s associates in the alleged offense are adults.
6. The sophistication and maturity of the juvenile as determined by consideration of his home, environmental situation, emotional attitude and pattern of living.
7. The. record and previous history of the juvenile.
8. The prospect for adequate protection of the public and the likelihood of reasonable rehabilitation of the juvenile (if he is found to have committed the alleged offense) by the use of procedures, services and facilities currently available to the Juvenile Court.

Applying these criteria to the facts of this case, we are unable to agree with appellant’s position. At the time of the hearing he was 17 years and 10 and % months old. He had been serving in the Marine Corps for approximately eight months, had completed his basic training and was assigned to an artillery unit at Camp Pendleton, California. In January, 1972, he went AWOL and hitchhiked to Tucson with three other persons, all adults. In the early morning hours of January 19 they were picked up by Patrick Corrales on South Sixth Avenue, Tucson, who offered to help them in finding a place to spend the night. While thus engaged, the appellant, who was seated in the back of the car, proceeded to choke the driver with a chain and a companion beat the driver with a tire iron. The victim received blows to the head that required hospitalization.

After the assault the victim was dumped on the ground and the four hitchhikers drove off in his car. The appellant’s mother resided in Oklahoma City and his father in Henderson, Kentucky. For the previous five years appellant had resided in California with his grandparents. He had no history of prior offenses but there was some evidence that he had become involved with drugs after completion of his basic training and continued to be so involved.

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Bluebook (online)
509 P.2d 1047, 20 Ariz. App. 10, 1973 Ariz. App. LEXIS 611, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-appeal-in-pima-county-juvenile-action-no-35834-1-arizctapp-1973.