Opinion ID: 2403744
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Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Juvenile Causes Law

Text: Prior to the beginning of the twentieth century, under the common law view prevalent throughout the country, children above the age of seven were tried as adults, and they were afforded the same legal protections and received the same punishments as adult criminal offenders. In re Victor B., 336 Md. 85, 90, 646 A.2d 1012, 1014 (1994) (citing In re Johnson, 254 Md. 517, 521, 255 A.2d 419, 421 (1969), appeal dismissed, 403 U.S. 926, 91 S.Ct. 2257, 29 L.Ed.2d 706 (1971)). Following a national trend for reform, due to an acknowledgment of the inherent differences between adults and children, jurisdictions throughout the country began creating separate systems of courts that addressed the needs of juvenile offenders. In re Victor B., 336 Md. at 90, 646 A.2d at 1014. In contrast to the adversarial nature of the adult system ... juvenile proceedings were informal and flexible in nature, psychiatric and psychological assistance was sought, the rules of evidence relaxed, and many proceedings were not open to the public. In re Victor B., 336 Md. at 91, 646 A.2d at 1014 (citations omitted). Over the next century, however, delinquency proceedings began to take on the more rehabilitative and retributive nature of adult criminal proceedings. In re Victor B., 336 Md. at 90-91, 646 A.2d at 1014. Whether specific protections provided to adult defendants would also be provided to juveniles was first discussed in depth in 1967 by the United States Supreme Court in In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S.Ct. 1428, 18 L.E.2d 527 (1967). Because of the increasingly penal overtones of juvenile court systems, Gault held that juvenile proceedings which may lead to commitment in a state institution must measure up to the essentials of due process and fair treatment. These essentials include written notice of the charges to the child and parents in advance to allow for preparation, notification of the right to either retained or appointed counsel, awareness of the constitutional privilege against self-incrimination, and, absent a valid confession, a determination of delinquency and an order of commitment based only on sworn testimony subject to the opportunity for cross-examination in accordance with constitutional requirements. In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S.Ct. 1428, 18 L.E.2d 527. We have previously noted that juvenile proceedings are civil and not criminal in nature.... In re Thomas J., 372 Md. 50, 57, 811 A.2d 310, 314 (2002) (quoting In re Anthony R., 362 Md. 51, 69, 763 A.2d 136, 146 (2000)). Nonetheless, we recognize that only a prosecutor can initiate juvenile delinquency proceedings. See Md.Code (1974, 2002 Repl.Vol.) § 3-8A-10(c)(4)(ii) of the Cts. & Jud. Proc. Article. The juvenile delinquency proceeding is a prosecution in lieu of criminal proceedings. See In re William A. 313 Md. 690, 694, 548 A.2d 130, 132 (1988); see also Lopez-Sanchez v. State, 388 Md. 214, 879 A.2d 695 (2005) (acknowledging that so many rights enjoyed by criminal defendants have been held to apply in juvenile proceedings that many of the procedural distinctions between the two types of proceedings ... have all but disappeared) (citations omitted). In that case we said: The raison d'etre of the Juvenile Causes Act is that a child does not commit a crime when he [or she] commits a delinquent act and therefore is not a criminal. [The child] is not to be punished but afforded supervision and treatment to be made aware of what is right and what is wrong so as to be amenable to the criminal laws. 313 Md. at 695, 548 A.2d at 132 (1988) (citations omitted). Although the proceedings are civil in nature, [t]his does not mean that a juvenile gives up all rights that a person would be entitled to in a criminal proceeding. Id. As such, this Court has recognized that some, but not all, rights granted to a criminal defendant are applicable in juvenile proceedings. See, e.g., In re Thomas J., 372 Md. 50, 58-59, 811 A.2d 310, 315 (2002) (holding that juveniles must be afforded a speedy trial in delinquency proceedings as a matter of fundamental fairness); see also Lopez-Sanchez, 388 Md. at 225, 879 A.2d at 701 (2005) (listing rights that are applicable in juvenile delinquency proceedings). [8] In Maryland, the accomplice corroboration rule as applied to adults was developed under the common law, rather than by constitutional or statutory mandate. [9] Although we have addressed the application of constitutional protections to juveniles, we have not addressed whether this specific common law evidentiary rule applies. Several other jurisdictions, however, have discussed the issue with the majority holding in favor of extending the rule. [10] Under the Georgia statute, [11] conviction of an adult based upon the testimony of an accomplice may only be sustained if corroborating facts or circumstances connect the defendant to the crime or lead to an inference of his or her guilt, and such corroboration must be independent of the accomplice's testimony. T.L.T. v. State, 133 Ga.App. 895, 212 S.E.2d 650, 653 (1975) (citing West v. State, 232 Ga. 861, 209 S.E.2d 195 (1974); Quaid v. State, 132 Ga.App. 478, 208 S.E.2d 336 (1974)). In the juvenile context, the Georgia statute [12] requires that a court must find on proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the child committed the acts by reason of which he is alleged to be delinquent. T.L.T., 212 S.E.2d at 654. The Georgia court emphasized Georgia's statutes requiring, inter alia, proof beyond a reasonable doubt and United States and Georgia Supreme Court decisions extending criminal rights to juveniles. Id. The Georgia court then concluded that a juvenile charged with `delinquency' is entitled by right to have the court apply those common law jurisprudential principles which experience and reason have shown are necessary to give the accused the essence of a fair trial, including independent corroborative evidence of an accomplice's testimony. Id. In _______, A Minor v. Juvenile Dept. Fourth Judicial District, 96 Nev. 332, 608 P.2d 509 (1980), the Supreme Court of Nevada held that the accomplice corroboration requirement, mandated by statute, [13] applies to proceedings wherein minors are adjudged juvenile delinquents. The court opined that, [a]lthough the Nevada statute by its terms forbids only `convictions' upon uncorroborated accomplice testimony, this Court has not interpreted this language mechanically. ______, A Minor, 608 P.2d at 510. In addition, the statute governing juvenile adjudications requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt upon competent, material, and relevant evidence that a child has committed the acts by reason of which he is alleged to be delinquent. [14] Id. The court held that the corroboration requirement should be applied in juvenile proceedings consistent with Breed v. Jones, 421 U.S. 519, 95 S.Ct. 1779, 44 L.Ed.2d 346 (1975) (holding that in the interest of fundamental fairness, the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment, as applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, attaches to a juvenile's adjudicatory hearing). Id. Although Georgia and Nevada have recognized that applying the accomplice corroboration rule to juvenile proceedings comports with common law jurisprudential principles and fundamental fairness, two jurisdictions have declined to extend the rule. The California Supreme Court held that, although a conviction statutorily requires corroboration of accomplice testimony, [15] a finding of juvenile delinquency does not constitute a conviction. Therefore, the court held that the statute does not require application of the rule to juvenile proceedings. In re Mitchell P., 22 Cal.3d 946, 151 Cal.Rptr. 330, 587 P.2d 1144, 1146 (1978). As a matter of constitutional due process, the court noted that the essentials of due process and fair treatment, as stated in Gault, [do] not compel the accomplice corroboration rule in either criminal or juvenile proceedings. In re Mitchell P., 151 Cal.Rptr. 330, 587 P.2d at 1147. Consequently, the court was not compelled to extend the rule as a matter of constitutional due process. The court also remarked that, although the accomplice corroboration rule has been codified by the California Legislature to apply to adults in criminal proceedings, equal protection does not require that the rule also apply in juvenile proceedings. In re Mitchell P., 151 Cal.Rptr. 330, 587 P.2d at 1148-49. The court concluded that the disparities between juveniles and adults were reasonably related to the purpose of keeping juvenile proceedings sufficiently informal and distinct from adult criminal proceedings. Id. In Munhall v. State of Arkansas, 337 Ark. 41, 986 S.W.2d 863 (1999), the Arkansas Supreme Court agreed with the California court and declined to apply the Arkansas statute [16] requiring corroboration of accomplice testimony to juvenile proceedings. The Arkansas court explained that the clear legislative intent as evidenced by the plain language of the statute limits its applicability to adults. The words conviction, felony, and defendant do not apply in juvenile proceedings. Munhall, 986 S.W.2d at 864. The court concluded that [i]f the accomplice-corroboration rule ... is to be extended to juvenile hearings, it must be by legislative enactment. Munhall, 986 S.W.2d at 865. Subsequently, in 2001 the Arkansas legislature amended their statute to reflect that in felony cases the accomplice corroboration rule applies in juvenile proceedings. See Ark.Code Ann., § 16-89-111(e)(1)(A) (1987, 2003 Supp.) (A conviction or an adjudication of delinquency cannot be had in any case of felony upon testimony of an accomplice including in juvenile court, unless corroborated by other evidence tending to connect the defendant or the juvenile with the commission of the offense.). Similar to juvenile court statutes in both Georgia and Nevada, Maryland Rule 11-114(e)(1), which governs adjudicatory hearings in juvenile proceedings, requires that allegations that a juvenile committed a delinquent act be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. See also Md.Code (2002 Repl. Vol.), § 3-8A-18(c)(1) of the Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art. (stating that before a child is adjudicated delinquent, the standard of proof for allegations in the petition that the child has committed a delinquent act must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt). The right to proof beyond a reasonable doubt has been held to apply to both adults and juveniles by the United States Supreme Court. See In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, 368, 90 S.Ct. 1068, 1075, 25 L.Ed.2d 368 (1970) ([T]he constitutional safeguard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is as much required during the adjudicatory stage of a delinquency proceeding as are those constitutional safeguards applied in Gault,  such as the right to counsel and the privilege against self-incrimination.). Because the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt in juvenile cases is the same standard applied in adult criminal cases, the same concerns regarding the potentially untrustworthy nature of an accomplice's testimony in adult criminal proceedings, as noted in Watson, are also present in juvenile cases. In the present case, the Court of Special Appeals pointed out that, a juvenile faced with the possibility of removal from his home and placement in some state facility for rehabilitation or treatment is no less entitled to the benefit of the accomplice-corroboration rule than an adult faced with possible incarceration for committing an identical offense. That analogy supports the concept of fundamental fairness. In re Anthony W., 159 Md.App. 514, 524, 859 A.2d 679, 685 (2004). And as the respondent notes in his brief, the interest of trustworthy evidence applies with equal force regardless of the age of the person accused. We agree. The State relies on the case of In re Victor B., 336 Md. 85, 646 A.2d 1012 (1994), in which we addressed the question of whether the Criminal Rules of Procedure, under Title 4 of the Maryland Rules, apply to an adjudicatory proceeding in a juvenile case. The respondent in that case argued that the rules of Title 4 are applicable to juvenile proceedings when there is no guidance within the juvenile rules themselves. In re Victor B., 336 Md. at 89-90, 646 A.2d at 1014. After considering the pertinent procedural rules in light of the history and underlying policies of the juvenile court, we held that juvenile delinquency proceedings are governed exclusively by Chapter 900 of the Maryland Rules of Procedure and the criminal rules under Title 4 do not apply to juvenile proceedings. In re Victor B., 336 Md. at 90, 646 A.2d at 1014. Although Chapter 900 of the Maryland Rules of Procedure exclusively governs juvenile delinquency proceedings, it is also within our authority to develop or extend common law rules. As stated in In re Victor B., [j]uvenile proceedings are governed by a separate, pervasive scheme of specific statutes and rules developed by the Maryland General Assembly and the Court of Appeals. In re Victor B., 336 Md. at 96, 646 A.2d at 1017. Pursuant to this authority and in the interest of fundamental fairness, we extend the rule requiring accomplice corroboration to juvenile proceedings.
Having concluded that the accomplice corroboration rule applies in juvenile proceedings, we consider the question of whether the rule applies in this case. The juvenile court concluded that Steers and Gonzales were not accomplices, and, therefore, their testimony did not require independent corroboration. The juvenile court's analysis was as follows: [It had been argued that] fundamentally... an individual cannot be convicted on the basis of uncorroborated accomplice testimony.       The fact that they drove the Respondent away, I don't believe makes anyone accomplices or accessories under any form of analysis because there was not, at least on the evidence I have, whatever we might assume, there's not evidence that the intent was to conceal the act or the perpetrator.       I think Jose Gonzales testified rather sincerely that they pulled into the school parking lot and that while they were there, when they were in the parking lot, the Respondent, Tony W., got out of the car, broke into the bus, and started to break out windows and sprayed the fire extinguisher. At some point after he started that, both Gonzales and Steers got onto the bus. To one extent or another, how vehemently and how sincerely they, they told him it was time to get, to stop it. Or not whether to stop it or not, but to leave. And I accept that when they got off they committed these thefts.       It seems to me that this misdemeanor destruction of property began with the Respondent [Anthony W.] alone on the school bus. The fact that Gonzales and Steers at some point in this continuum may have committed independent crimes, misdemeanors, does not make them accomplices to this in the sense of the word for purposes of the evidentiary rule. For that reason I'm ... going to find that Tony is involved as to [the] charge of malicious destruction of property. To be an accomplice a person must participate in the commission of a crime knowingly, voluntarily, and with common criminal intent with the principal offender, or must in some way advocate or encourage the commission of the crime. State v. Raines, 326 Md. 582, 597, 606 A.2d 265, 272 (1992) (quoting Watson v. State, 208 Md. 210, 219, 117 A.2d 549, 553 (1955); State v. Foster, 263 Md. 388, 393, 283 A.2d 411, 413 (1971)). The act for which the respondent was adjudged, malicious destruction of property, is a misdemeanor. As such, all accessories are chargeable as principals. Roddy v. Finnegan, 43 Md. 490, 503-504 (1876); Seward v. State, 208 Md. 341, 346, 118 A.2d 505, 507 (1955); Watson v. State, 208 Md. 210, 217, 117 A.2d 549, 552 (1955). The test commonly applied as to whether a witness is an accomplice is whether he himself could have been indicted and punished for the offense, either as a principal or as an accessory. Harriday v. State, 228 Md. 593, 596, 182 A.2d 40, 42 (1962) (citing Coleman v. State, 209 Md. 379, 386, 121 A.2d 254, 257 (1956)). In Coleman, the defendant argued that there was insufficient evidence to convict him because he was convicted solely as the result of the uncorroborated testimony of a witness he considered to be an accomplice. During the alleged accomplice's testimony, she stated that she knew nothing about the intent of the defendant to steal property, and there was no evidence that she served in the participatory role as a lookout. Coleman, 209 Md. at 387, 121 A.2d at 258. We stated, [t]his case was tried by the trial judge without a jury. This Court should not reverse a judgment of conviction in a nonjury case unless it finds that the trial court's conclusion was clearly erroneous. Id. We held in that case that the trial judge was not clearly erroneous in finding that the witness was not an accomplice to the crime for which the defendant was convicted because there was evidence that the alleged accomplice sat outside in a truck while the breaking and entry occurred and that she had no knowledge that a crime was planned. Id. In Seward, the defendant was convicted of malicious destruction of property for destroying a water tower and screen door with a bomb while associating with a group of boys. The defendant appealed based on the trial judge's finding that the defendant encouraged the commission of the crime and was therefore chargeable as a principal to the delinquent act. Seward, 208 Md. at 346, 118 A.2d at 506-507. Again, this Court stated that a judgment of conviction in a nonjury case should not be reversed unless the trial court's conclusion was clearly erroneous. Seward, 208 Md. at 346, 118 A.2d at 506-507. The defendant admitted to the police that all of the participants in the act discussed setting off the bomb, that he knew who was making the bomb, and who was setting it off. Seward, 208 Md. at 349, 118 A.2d at 508. Knowing that the placing of the bomb was contemplated, the defendant continued association with the group of boys and arrived at the locations with the intention of detonating a bomb and watching it explode. Seward, 208 Md. at 349-350, 118 A.2d at 508. We there concluded that, from the evidence or from proper inference from the evidence, the trial judge was not clearly wrong in finding that the appellant in some way encouraged the commission of the crime and was therefore an accomplice. Seward, 208 Md. at 350, 118 A.2d at 509. In Watson, the defendant was convicted for the murder of a baby. The defendant claimed that one of the witnesses was an accomplice and that he could not be convicted based on the witness's uncorroborated testimony. Watson, 208 Md. at 216-217, 117 A.2d at 552. There was no evidence that the witness knew that the defendant intended to kill the child until he got the tub of water and put the child in it. Watson, 208 Md. at 219, 117 A.2d at 553. There was no evidence that she aided or abetted the crime or encouraged it. Id. In holding that she was not an accomplice we stated: To be an accomplice a person must participate in the commission of the crime ... with common criminal intent with the principal offender, or must in some way advocate or encourage the commission of the crime. Watson, 208 Md. at 219, 117 A.2d at 553. Returning to the present case, the Court of Special Appeals held that Anthony W., Steers, and Gonzales were all participants in the misdemeanor offenses of malicious destruction of the bus and the theft of the property inside. The court said: Finding no easy access, [respondent] broke the door of a bus and entered. The alleged accomplices voiced no objection until the window breaking ensued. The offense was committed when the door was broken open; the window breaking was not a separate offense, it was an acceleration of the illegal activity in which all three engaged. We know of no authority for defining and accomplice based on who did what after an illegal entry is gained. The objective was to enter the bus by whatever means was required. In re Anthony W., 159 Md.App. 514, 519-520, 859 A.2d 679, 682 (2004). Due to this finding and the requirement that the accomplice corroboration rule applies to juvenile delinquency proceedings, the Court of Special Appeals held that Steers's and Gonzales's testimony needed independent corroboration, thereby reversing the judgment of the juvenile court. [17] In re Anthony W., 159 Md.App. at 519, 859 A.2d at 682. The question of whether the Circuit Court, sitting as a juvenile court, properly found that the two witnesses were not accomplices, is a mixed question of law and fact. If there is no conflict in the evidence as to a witness's participation in a crime, or where his participation is conceded, the question whether the witness is an accomplice is one of law for the trial judge to determine. Conversely, where there is a conflict in the evidence as to the witness's participation in the crime either as a principal or as an accessory before the fact, the question of whether he is an accomplice is one of fact.... Rivenbark v. State, 58 Md.App. 626, 635, 473 A.2d 1329, 1333 (1984), aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 311 Md. 147, 533 A.2d 271 (1987). See also, Maryland Rule 8-131(c). This Court determines whether there was any evidence, or proper inference from the evidence, upon which the trial court could find the defendant guilty. If the record shows such evidence or proper inference, the Court of Appeals cannot find that the decision of the trial court was clearly erroneous. Seward, 208 Md. at 346, 118 A.2d at 507 (citations omitted). The burden of proving that Steers and Gonzales were accomplices rested on the respondent. [The courts] have consistently recognized as the rule that the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that a witness is an accomplice is on the defendant asserting it. They have applied it, and we have not repudiated it.... We deem it to be the rule in this State. Bennett v. State, 283 Md. 619, 623, 392 A.2d 76, 78 (1978). Respondent contends that, as a matter of law, Steers and Gonzales were accomplices whose testimony required independent corroborative evidence. Where the trial judge has ruled that the witness is an accomplice as a matter of law, for the appellate court to reverse that decision, the proof must be so clear and decisive that reasonable minds could not differ in coming to the same conclusion. Burroughs v. State, 88 Md.App. 229, 240, 594 A.2d 625, 630 (1991). See also, Bishop v. State, 39 Md.App. 384, 390, 385 A.2d 1206, 1210 (1978) ([T]he court must find, in effect, that the testimony was so conclusive that, were a directed verdict of guilty available in a criminal trial, and had the witness been the party charged with the crime, it would have been the witness's fate to have such entered against him.). The State argues, and we agree, that the evidence respecting whether Steers and Gonzales were accomplices is capable of being determined either way. While we may agree with the Court of Special Appeals that there was sufficient evidence to determine that Steers and Gonzales were, in fact, accomplices to the delinquent act charged, the evidence does not demand or require that an appellate court make such a finding. In addition, [w]e have held repeatedly that when evidence relating to whether a witness is an accomplice is capable of being determined either way and justifies different inferences in respect thereto, the question is for the determination of the trier of fact.... State v. Foster, 263 Md. 388, 393-394, 283 A.2d 411, 413-414 (1971) (citing, with approval, the Court of Special Appeals in Foster v. State, 11 Md.App. 40, 46, 272 A.2d 810, 813 (1971)). Therefore, the clearly erroneous standard of review is appropriate for this question. The rationale behind the clearly erroneous standard is settled. The trial judge is physically present during the testimony and is able to observe matters not usually reflected in a cold record, such as the demeanor and credibility of witnesses. That is to say, the judge has his finger on the pulse of the trial. State v. Hawkins, 326 Md. 270, 278, 604 A.2d 489, 493 (1992). In $ 3,417.46 U.S. Money v. Kinnamon, 326 Md. 141, 149, 604 A.2d 64, 67-68 (1992) we further elaborated: [In a bench trial], the trial court is not only the judge of a witness's credibility, but is also the judge of the weight to be attached to the evidence. It is thus plain that the appellate court should not substitute its judgment for that of the trial court on its findings of fact but will only determine whether those findings are clearly erroneous in light of the total evidence. $3,417.46 U.S. Money, 326 Md. at 149, 604 A.2d at 67 (citing Housing Opportunities Comm'n v. Lacey, 322 Md. 56, 59-60, 585 A.2d 219, 221 (1991), and Kowell Ford, Inc. v. Doolan, 283 Md. 579, 581, 391 A.2d 840, 841 (1978)). Despite the Court of Specials Appeals's finding that Anthony W.'s window breaking was an acceleration of the illegal activity in which all three engaged, we held in Coleman that, the term `accomplice' does not include a person who has guilty knowledge, or is morally delinquent, or who was even an admitted participant in a related but distinct offense. Coleman, 209 Md. at 385, 121 A.2d at 257 (quoting 2 Wharton, Criminal Evidence, 229, § 448 et seq. (12th Ed.)). In the present case, Steers and Gonzales admittedly participated in the taking of a box of flares from the bus. This act, however, is a separate and distinct offense from the malicious destruction of property. Likewise, assuming, for the sake of argument, that the property was posted against trespassers, [18] all parties here participated in that crime by entering the property and boarding the bus. Trespass, however, like the crime of theft is a separate and distinct offense. In addition, there is no evidence in the record that the alleged accomplices knew that the respondent intended to break the door of the bus and damage the interior of the bus. The court was not required to conclude from the evidence of their presence at the scene of the crime or their participation in distinct crimes that the alleged accomplices aided or encouraged the damage to the bus. As the juvenile court judge found, the fact that Gonzales and Steers at some point in this continuum may have committed independent crimes... does not make them accomplices to [the malicious destruction of property] in the sense of the word for purposes of the evidentiary rule. Analyzing the evidence and testimony in the record, a rational trier of fact could have found that Steers and Gonzales were not accomplices. In the absence of a statement relating to why the judgment of the juvenile court was clearly erroneous, the Court of Special Appeals erred by not deferring to the juvenile court judge's factual findings. Accordingly, we reverse the Court of Special Appeals and hold that the Circuit Court, sitting as a juvenile court, was not clearly erroneous in finding that Steers and Gonzales were not accomplices and in relying on their uncorroborated testimony to determine Anthony W.'s involvement. JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS REVERSED AND CASE REMANDED TO THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS WITH DIRECTIONS TO AFFIRM THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR FREDERICK COUNTY; COSTS IN THIS COURT AND THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS TO BE PAID BY FREDERICK COUNTY.