State ex rel. B.G.

128 So. 3d 1211, 13 La.App. 5 Cir. 445, 2013 WL 5856936, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 2217
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 30, 2013
DocketNo. 13-KA-445
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 128 So. 3d 1211 (State ex rel. B.G.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. B.G., 128 So. 3d 1211, 13 La.App. 5 Cir. 445, 2013 WL 5856936, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 2217 (La. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

HANS J. LILJEBERG, Judge.

|2On January 22, 2012, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney filed a petition in juvenile court, alleging that B.G., a child under the age of 17, was in knowing possession of a handgun in violation of La. R.S. 14:95.8. On February 27, 2013, B.G. was adjudicated delinquent. On March 20, 2013, B.G.’s probation officer, Roberta Brown, filed a Motion to Modify Judgment of Disposition/Revocation of Probation.1 At the conclusion of the disposition hearing the following day, the trial court committed B.G. to the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) for a term of six months, suspended. The court then placed B.G. on active probation for a period of two years in the non-secure custody of the OJJ. B.G.’s probation revocation proceedings on his previous conviction remained pending at the time this appeal was taken.

The Office of Juvenile Justice now appeals.

Facts

On January 11, 2013, school staff received information from multiple students that B.G. displayed photographs on his iPod Touch of B.G. in physical |3possession of a handgun. The Dean of Students, Monique Barthelemy, requested to view B.G.’s iPod, obtained the password to the device, and viewed the images in question. After confirming that B.G. was in possession of a handgun in the photographs, Ms. Barthelemy requested that Campus Police Lieutenant Annette Askew contact Detective Brian Dew of the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office. Detective Dew subsequently viewed the photographs and seized B.G.’s iPod Touch.

On January 14, 2013, Detective Dew obtained a warrant for a forensic search of B.G.’s iPod. Pursuant to the warrant, Detective Nick Vega of the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office located the images and obtained information as to the date, time, and global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates. The photographs reflected B.G. loading a handgun magazine with ammunition and then inserting the magazine inside the handgun. In three of the photographs, five ammunition rounds were seen on the bed between B.G.’s body, his hands, and the handgun. The GPS coordinates for the photographs revealed an address range in close proximity to B.G.’s residence. Based on this information, a search warrant was obtained for the residence.

On January 16, 2013, the search warrant was executed at B.G.’s residence, wherein four boxes of live ammunition were recovered from the air return duct of the air-conditioning system located immediately outside of B.G.’s bedroom. B.G.’s mother, K.G., present during the search, advised that she was unaware of the ammunition or its ownership. On January 17, 2013, an arrest warrant was executed upon B.G., [1213]*1213who was taken to Rivarde Detention Center.

B.G. denied knowledge of the ammunition or handgun.

| ⅜Assignments of Eiror

Appellant, the Office of Juvenile Justice, asserts that the juvenile court erred in placing B.G. in the custody of the OJJ as a condition of probation; and (2) in imposing a disposition that exceeded the maximum term of commitment.

Law & Discussion

Appellant complains that the juvenile court erred in placing B.G. in the custody of the OJJ as a condition of probation. Specifically, appellant asserts that this condition of probation violates La. Ch.C. art. 899. In support of its contention, appellant cites to State in the Interest of S.D., 02-154 (La.App. 5 Cir. 05/15/02), 821 So.2d 116.

In State in the Interest of S.D., supra, the juvenile court placed S.D. on active probation for two years. As a special condition of probation, the court ordered S.D. to be placed in the “state’s custody for purposes of placement in a residential treatment facility.” In a separate order, the court took protective custody of the juvenile and placed S.D. in the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections/Office of Youth Development (DPSC/OYD) pending further orders of the court. On appeal, the DPSC similarly raised and argued that it was an error of law for a juvenile court to place a child in state custody as a condition of probation. This Court agreed, holding that under La. Ch.C. art. 899,2 |sthe juvenile court judge [1214]*1214may place the child in the custody of his parents or some other suitable person, place the child on probation in the custody of his parents or some other suitable person, commit the child to a [non-DPSC] private or public institution or agency, or commit the child to the custody of the DPSC if the child is at least thirteen at the time of the delinquent act. Id. at 1142. This Court vacated the disposition and conditions of probation, finding that the juvenile court was in error to place S.D. in the DPSC’s custody as a condition of probation, as the DPSC was neither the juvenile’s “parents or some other suitable person.” Id. at 1144.

[1213]*1213A. After adjudication of a misdemeanor-grade delinquent act, the court may:
(1) Reprimand and warn the child and release him into the custody of his parents either unconditionally or subject to such terms and conditions as deemed in the best interests of the child and the public.
(2) Reprimand and warn the child and release him into the custody of some other suitable person either unconditionally or subject to such terms and conditions as deemed in the best interests of the child and the public. The court shall, whenever practicable, select a person of the same religious faith as the child or his parents.
(3) Place the child on probation in the custody of his parents or other suitable person.
B. As conditions of probation, if ordered pursuant to Subparagraph A(3) of this Article:
(1) The court shall impose all of the following restrictions:
(a) Prohibit the child from possessing any drugs or alcohol.
(b) Prohibit the child from engaging in any further delinquent or criminal activity.
(2) The court may impose any other term and condition deemed in the best interests of the child and the public, including:
(a) A requirement that the child attend school, if the school admits the child.
(b) A requirement that the child or his parent or legal guardian perform court-approved community service activities. If feasible, the court-approved community service activities shall be conducted by the caretaker and child together.
(c) A requirement that the child make reasonable restitution to any victim for any personal or property damage caused by the child in the commission of the delinquent act.
(d) A requirement that the child participate in any program of medical or psychological or other treatment found necessary for his rehabilitation.
(e) A requirement suspending or restricting the child's driving privileges, if any, for all or part of the period of probation. In such cases, a copy of the order shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, which shall suspend the child’s driver’s license or issue a restricted license in accordance with the order of the court.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 So. 3d 1211, 13 La.App. 5 Cir. 445, 2013 WL 5856936, 2013 La. App. LEXIS 2217, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-bg-lactapp-2013.