STATE IN THE INTEREST OF A.D., A JUVENILE (FJ-01-0291-19, ATLANTIC COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (RECORD IMPOUNDED)

CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedJune 16, 2020
DocketA-1553-19T4
StatusUnpublished

This text of STATE IN THE INTEREST OF A.D., A JUVENILE (FJ-01-0291-19, ATLANTIC COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (RECORD IMPOUNDED) (STATE IN THE INTEREST OF A.D., A JUVENILE (FJ-01-0291-19, ATLANTIC COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (RECORD IMPOUNDED)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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STATE IN THE INTEREST OF A.D., A JUVENILE (FJ-01-0291-19, ATLANTIC COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (RECORD IMPOUNDED), (N.J. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

RECORD IMPOUNDED

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited . R. 1:36-3.

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION DOCKET NO. A-1553-19T4

STATE IN THE INTEREST OF A.D., a Juvenile.

Submitted April 28, 2020 – Decided June 16, 2020

Before Judges Yannotti and Currier.

On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Family Part, Atlantic County, Docket No. FJ-01-0291-19.

Damon G. Tyner, Atlantic County Prosecutor, attorney for appellant State of New Jersey (John J. Santoliquido, Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief).

Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney for respondent A.D. (Brian P. Keenan, Assistant Deputy Public Defender, of counsel and on the brief).

PER CURIAM

On leave granted, the State appeals from the November 6, 2019 Family

Part order denying its motion for waiver of the sixteen-year-old juvenile to the

Law Division. After reviewing the contentions in light of the record and applicable principles of law, we conclude it was an error of judgment to deny

the motion. We reverse and remand the matter to be heard in the Law Division.

We derive the facts from the testimony elicited during the waiver hearing.

On November 15, 2018, the Ventnor City Police Department responded to a 9-

1-1 report of a shooting and a male laying on the sidewalk and discovered the

body of the victim and a bicycle at the scene. An autopsy later revealed the

victim sustained two fatal gunshot wounds to the neck and forearm. The two

bullets were removed; one was a 0.22 caliber bullet. The cause of death was

ruled a homicide.

The video surveillance recovered from the scene revealed that shortly

before the 9-1-1 call, the victim parked his car in front of his house. Another

person, later identified as A.D., was on a bike nearby, wearing a black jacket

over a gray hooded sweatshirt along with tan pants and white-soled tan boots.

The victim got out of his car and entered his residence carrying a small

child. He left the car running with its headlights on. The video footage shows

A.D. getting off the bike and hiding underneath the stairs leading to the victim's

front door.

When the victim came out of his house and walked down the stairs, A.D.

approached him. At that point, they both moved out of the view of the

A-1553-19T4 2 surveillance camera. However, video was obtained by a second camera in the

area which displayed the victim's body on the sidewalk. In addition, the video

captured the victim's car driving away from the scene. As it does so, the car hits

another parked vehicle on the street. Witnesses reported hearing two gunshots.

Later that evening, police officers located the victim's vehicle outside a

public housing complex. Surveillance cameras in the area showed A.D., in

clothing that matched the description of the assailant, get out of the victim's

vehicle and enter a nearby residence. When the police arrested A.D. the next

morning, he was carrying the victim's wallet, cell phone, and car keys in his

pocket. During the search of the residence pursuant to a warrant, the police

retrieved a 0.22 caliber handgun and a pair of white-soled tan boots.

A.D. was charged in a juvenile complaint with acts of delinquency that, if

committed by an adult, would constitute: first-degree murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-

3(a)(1); first-degree felony murder, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3(a)(3); first-degree

robbery, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1(a)(1); first-degree carjacking, N.J.S.A. 2C:15-

2(a)(3); second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-

5(b)(1); and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose,

N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(a)(1).

A-1553-19T4 3 In March 2019, the State moved to waive jurisdiction of the case to the

Law Division and try A.D. as an adult under N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-26.1 and Rule

5:22-2. The State supported its application with an eleven-page statement of

reasons addressing the statutory factors under N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-26.1(c)(3).

Following its analysis of each factor, the assistant prosecutor stated:

The State has reviewed the facts of this case as set forth in greater detail above and in the attached exhibits, as well as the supporting evidence and escalating history with the [c]ourt. The State having assessed, evaluated, and weighed this factor, submits that [the factor] weighs in favor of waiver to [the] Law Division- Criminal Part.

Following a probable cause hearing, the court issued an oral decision on

November 6, 2019, memorialized in an accompanying written opinion, denying

the State's motion. The court found probable cause to conclude A.D. committed

the charged offenses. But the court concluded the State had abused its discretion

and failed to meet its burden to support a waiver of A.D. to the Law Division

because the prosecutor's evaluation of most of the statutory factors was

inadequate. We granted the State's motion for leave to appeal.

On appeal, the State argues the court erred in denying its waiver motion

because it thoroughly evaluated each statutory factor and did not abuse its

discretion. We agree.

A-1553-19T4 4 Our standard of review on the appeal of referral cases "is whether the

correct legal standard has been applied, whether inappropriate factors have been

considered, and whether the exercise of discretion constituted a 'clear error of

judgment' in all of the circumstances." State in Interest of J.F., 446 N.J. Super.

39, 51-52 (App. Div. 2016) (quoting State v. R.G.D., 108 N.J. 1, 15 (1987)).

We give consideration to the family court's expertise, common sense, and

experience in adjudicating such matters. Id. at 52 (citing R.G.D., 108 N.J. at 16

n.7).

However, an abuse of discretion review does not permit the family court

to "substitute its judgment for that of the prosecutor." State in re V.A., 212 N.J.

1, 8 (2012). It requires a limited, yet substantive, review to ensure the prosecutor

made an individualized decision about the juvenile that was neither arbitrary nor

an abuse of the prosecutor's considerable discretion. Ibid.

In a juvenile delinquency case before the family court, the State may seek

waiver of the juvenile to adult court, without consent, by filing a motion for

referral. N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-26.1(a). The statute requires the State to provide a

"written statement of reasons clearly setting forth the facts used in assessing all

factors contained in [N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-26.1(c)(3)], together with an explanation

A-1553-19T4 5 as to how evaluation of those facts support waiver for each particular juvenile. "

Ibid.

The court may deny a referral motion, however, "if it is clearly convinced

that the prosecutor abused his [or her] discretion in considering" the eleven

factors enumerated in the statute. N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-26.1(c)(3); R. 5:22-2(c). The

prosecutor will be found to have abused his or her discretion if the decision: (1)

fails to consider all relevant factors; (2) considered irrelevant or inappropriate

factors; or (3) "amounted to a clear error in judgment." V.A., 212 N.J. at 22

(quoting State v. Bender, 80 N.J. 84, 93 (1979)). "Cursory or conclusory

statements . . .

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Related

In Re the Civil Commitment of J.M.B.
964 A.2d 752 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2009)
State v. Bender
402 A.2d 217 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1979)
State in the Interest of J.F.
140 A.3d 564 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2016)
State in the Interest of N.H.(076316)
141 A.3d 1178 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2016)
State of New Jersey in the Interest of Juvenile, I.C.
146 A.3d 1245 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2016)
State v. R.G.D.
527 A.2d 834 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1987)
State ex rel. V.A.
50 A.3d 610 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2012)

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