Title: M.M. v. State

State: wyoming

Issuer: Wyoming Supreme Court

Document:

M.M. v. State1992 WY 30827 P.2d 1117Case Number: C-91-8, C-91-9Decided: 03/20/1992Supreme Court of Wyoming
In the Matter of The 
Interests of M.M., a Minor, 

Appellant 
(Defendant),

v.

STATE of Wyoming, 

Appellee 
(Plaintiff).

In the Matter of the 
Interests of J.M., a Minor, 

Appellant 
(Defendant),

v.

STATE of Wyoming, 

Appellee 
(Plaintiff).

Appeal from District 
Court of Big Horn County, Hunter Patrick, J.

Leonard D. 
Munker, State Public Defender, Gerald M. Gallivan, Director, Wyoming Defender 
Aid Program, and Stephen K. Palmer, Student Intern, for appellant in both 
cases.

Joseph B. Meyer, 
Atty. Gen., and Richard E. Dixon, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee in both 
cases.

Before 
URBIGKIT, C.J., and THOMAS, CARDINE, MACY and GOLDEN, 
JJ.

PER 
CURIAM.

[¶1]      Appellant is a 
juvenile who was subjected to an order of supervision and delinquency under the 
Wyoming Juvenile Court Act, Wyo. Stat. §§ 14-6-201 through 14-6-243 (1986), for 
activity which would constitute a crime for an adult. With a finding that the 
juvenile had failed to comply with the terms of his probation, the district 
court, acting as the juvenile court, revoked probation at the conclusion of a 
review hearing.

[¶2]      These appeals 
have been taken by assertion that the juvenile's statutory and constitutional 
rights were violated when a hearing was conducted for revocation of probation 
without notice that any revocation would be considered as the result of the 
proceeding which resulted in termination of probation and entry of a judgment of 
confinement in an institution for juvenile boys.

[¶3]      In first 
argument, appellant asserts in his appellate brief that "[t]he juvenile court, 
by revoking appellant[']s probation without a petition to revoke, violated Wyo. 
Stat. § 14-6-232 and § 14-6-206 1977 (Rev. 1986)[.]" In second argument, 
appellant asserts in his appellate brief that "[t]he juvenile court erred by 
using a `review hearing' to revoke appellant's probation in place of a probation 
revocation hearing, denying appellant notice and due process as guaranteed by 
the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and 
Article 1 Section 6 of the Wyoming Constitution."

[¶4]      The office of the 
Attorney General thoughtfully analyzed the circumstances resulting in the entry 
of the orders from which these appeals were taken and agrees with appellant to 
join in request of this court that the orders be set aside from which the 
appeals were taken. It was further agreed that the cases should be remanded for 
a hearing in compliance with the Wyoming Juvenile Court 
Act.

[¶5]      We agree with 
both appellant and appellee. Compliance with the notice and hearing provisions 
of the Wyoming statute incorporated into the Juvenile Court Act are mandatory 
for revocation of probation for any juvenile who has been subjected to an order 
of delinquency or supervision by the court. See Wyo. Stat. § 14-6-232 (1986) 
relating to the specific subject of "Probation revocation hearing; how commenced 
and concluded; contents of petition; disposition." See also Gagnon v. Scarpelli, 
411 U.S. 778, 93 S. Ct. 1756, 36 L. Ed. 2d 656 (1973); Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 92 S. Ct. 2593, 33 L. Ed. 2d 484 (1972); and Application of Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S. Ct. 1428, 18 L. Ed. 2d 527 (1967). In addition, see In Interest of 
C.N., 816 P.2d 1282 (Wyo. 1991), where we recently examined the jurisdictional 
authority provided by the Juvenile Court Act.

[¶6]      Reversed and 
remanded for further proceedings in accord herewith.