Opinion ID: 2452798
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Abuse of Discretion Regarding Disposition

Text: [¶ 7] A juvenile court enjoys broad discretion in formulating a disposition for a juvenile adjudged delinquent, but that discretion is not unbounded. A juvenile court cannot enter a disposition that runs counter to law. Generally, sentencing decisions are reviewed for an abuse of discretion. Bitz v. State, 2003 WY 140, ¶ 7, 78 P.3d 257, 259 (Wyo.2003). Such discretion is limited, however, inasmuch as a court may not enter an illegal sentence. White v. State, 934 P.2d 745, 746 (Wyo.1997). A sentence is illegal if it violates the constitution or other law. Martinez v. State, 2002 WY 10, ¶ 9, 39 P.3d 394, 396 (Wyo.2002). An error of law committed by the court under the circumstances is an abuse of discretion. White, 934 P.2d at 746 (quoting Garcia v. State, 777 P.2d 603, 607 (Wyo.1989)). CT v. State, 2006 WY 101, ¶ 8, 140 P.3d 643, 646 (Wyo.2006). This is exactly what K.C. argues happened in this case. This Court reviews whether a disposition complies with statutory and case law de novo. Jackson v. State, 2009 WY 82, ¶ 6, 209 P.3d 897, 899 (Wyo.2009); Manes v. State, 2007 WY 6, ¶ 7, 150 P.3d 179, 181 (Wyo.2007). [¶ 8] Wyoming's Juvenile Justice Act, Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 14-6-201 to -252 (LexisNexis 2011), delineates certain sanctions that may be imposed on a juvenile adjudged delinquent. The sanctions are divided into sanctions recommended for certain levels of delinquent behavior and a catch-all provision providing certain sanctions that are available for all sanction levels. The applicable statutes read, in pertinent part: § 14-6-246. Sanction levels. (a) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, when a child is adjudicated as a delinquent the juvenile court may, in a disposition hearing, assign the child one (1) of the following sanction levels according to the child's conduct: (i) For a misdemeanor punishable under the Wyoming Criminal Code by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, the sanction level is one; (ii) For a misdemeanor punishable under the Wyoming Criminal Code by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, the sanction level is two; (iii) For a felony, other than a violent felony as defined by W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xii), the sanction level is three; (iv) For a violent felony as defined by W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xii), other than a felony punishable by life, life without parole or death, the sanction level is four; (v) For a felony punishable under the Wyoming Criminal Code by life, life without parole or death, the sanction level is five.     § 14-6-247. Sanctions common to all levels. (a) For a child at any sanction level, the juvenile court may:     (viii) Order the child to be examined or treated by a physician, surgeon, psychiatrist or psychologist or to obtain other specialized treatment, care, counseling or training, and place the child in a hospital or medical facility, youth camp, school or other suitable facility for treatment[.] Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 14-6-246, 247 (LexisNexis 2011). [¶ 9] This Court has held that the sanctions delineated are merely guidelines and a juvenile court is free to impose any sanction it deems appropriate to meet the specific needs of the juvenile before the court. WJH v. State, 2001 WY 54, ¶¶ 12-16, 24 P.3d 1147, 1152-53 (Wyo.2001). The only qualification is that if a juvenile court deviates from statutorily delineated sanctions it must provide a written explanation on the record for the deviation. Id., ¶ 17, 24 P.3d at 1153; Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-6-246(d) (LexisNexis 2011). K.C. argues the juvenile court deviated from the applicable sanctions and presented no written explanation for the deviation. [¶ 10] The State argues the district court did not deviate from the statutory sanction framework because ordering a juvenile to attend the Wyoming Girls' School is one of the sanctions available to all levels. We agree. Section 14-6-247(a)(viii) provides that a juvenile court may order a juvenile to attend school as necessary for treatment. The Wyoming Girls' School is a residential program offering rehabilitation treatment as well as education. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 25-4-102 (LexisNexis 2011). Placement at the Wyoming Girls' School falls within the statutorily allowable sanctions applicable to K.C. The juvenile court, thus, was not required to provide a written justification for the placement.