Opinion ID: 782814
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prior Delinquency Record

Text: 17 J.R. also argues that the court abused its discretion by considering unadjudicated arrests as part of his prior delinquency record. The Juvenile Delinquency Act requires the court to consider specific factors before transferring the juvenile: 18 Evidence of the following factors shall be considered, and findings with regard to each factor shall be made in the record, in assessing whether a transfer would be in the interest of justice: the age and social background of the juvenile; the nature of the alleged offense; the extent and nature of the juvenile's prior delinquency record; the juvenile's present intellectual development and psychological maturity; the nature of past treatment efforts and the juvenile's response to such efforts; the availability of programs designed to treat the juvenile's behavioral problems. In considering the nature of the offense, as required by this paragraph, the court shall consider the extent to which the juvenile played a leadership role in an organization, or otherwise influenced other persons to take part in criminal activities, involving the use or distribution of controlled substances or firearms. Such a factor, if found to exist, shall weigh in favor of a transfer to adult status, but the absence of this factor shall not preclude such a transfer. 19 18 U.S.C. § 5032. The district court must balance these factors in an effort to determine the possibility of rehabilitation if the juvenile is found guilty. Gerald N., 900 F.2d at 191. The court is required to make findings regarding each factor and specifically set forth the findings. Id. 20 This issue has not been addressed in this Circuit. We note further that the circuits are split on the issue. Some circuits have held that unadjudicated charges cannot be considered as part of the juvenile's delinquency record. See United States v. LWO, 160 F.3d 1179, 1184 (8th Cir.1998); In Re: Sealed Case, 893 F.2d 363, 369 (D.C.Cir.1990). Other circuits, however, have held that record, as used in § 5032, includes both arrests and convictions. See United States v. Wilson, 149 F.3d 610, 613 (7th Cir.1998); cf. United States v. Anthony Y., 172 F.3d 1249, 1253 (10th Cir.1999) (permitting unadjudicated offenses to be considered under other statutory factors). 21 We are reluctant to address this issue in the absence of the juvenile's complete record and without affording the district court the first opportunity to address it, particularly because the appropriate standard of review appears to be whether the district court abused its discretion by considering unadjudicated arrests, either as part of J.R.'s juvenile record, or under other statutory factors. We therefore leave it to district court to address on remand. 3