Opinion ID: 2630608
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: juvenile court records

Text: ¶ 8 The records of the juvenile court and its probation department are governed by Utah Code Ann. section 78-3a-206 (Supp. 2002). That section prescribes the method by which such records may be released or opened for inspection. Blake has cited no provision, other than rule 16 of the Utah Rules of Criminal Procedure, that purports to give him the right to review S.D.'s juvenile records. Rule 16 is inapplicable where, as here, the prosecution does not have access to the requested records. Rule 16 applies only to information available to the prosecution. Utah R.Crim. P. 16 (the prosecutor shall disclose ...). Thus, where the prosecution has no access to the records a motion under rule 16 is ineffective to compel the records' release. ¶ 9 Blake also refers this court to Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974) for support of his argument for access to S.D.'s juvenile records. However, as the State has correctly noted, Davis dealt with the question of admissibility of such records on cross-examination, not discovery. See generally Davis, 415 U.S. at 315-16, 94 S.Ct. 1105 (noting Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses through impeachment on cross-examination). Accordingly, Davis avails Blake nothing. The trial court's ruling is affirmed.