Opinion ID: 1346978
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: This Court has explained the proper appellate review of an order transferring a juvenile to criminal jurisdiction as follows: Where the findings of fact and conclusions of law justifying an order transferring a juvenile proceeding to the criminal jurisdiction of the circuit court are clearly wrong or against the plain preponderance of the evidence, such findings of fact and conclusions of law must be reversed. W. Va.Code, 49-5-10(a) [1977] [now 2001]. Syllabus Point 1, State v. Bannister, 162 W.Va. 447, 250 S.E.2d 53 (1978). We have more recently clarified that [w]here the issue on an appeal from the circuit court is clearly a question of law or involving an interpretation of a statute, we apply a de novo standard of review. Syllabus Point 1, Chrystal R.M. v. Charlie A.L., 194 W.Va. 138, 459 S.E.2d 415 (1995). In reviewing a circuit court's order to transfer a juvenile proceeding to criminal jurisdiction, this Court also is mindful that [t]he Legislature, in enacting the juvenile proceedings statutes, W. Va.Code, 49-9-1, et seq., [now W. Va.Code §§ 49-5-1, et seq. ], manifested an intention that juveniles should, in the ordinary case, be subject to juvenile court jurisdiction. Transfer, therefore, should be the exception and not the rule. Syllabus Point 2, State ex rel. Smith v. Scott, 160 W.Va. 730, 238 S.E.2d 223 (1977). Utilizing these standards, we will proceed to review the circuit court order before us.