Opinion ID: 1244665
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: diversion agreements

Text: A diversion agreement is a contract between a juvenile accused of an offense and a diversionary unit whereby the juvenile agrees to fulfill certain conditions in lieu of prosecution. RCW 13.40.080(1). Typically, for minor offenses the county prosecutor often refers a juvenile to a probation officer who enters into a diversion agreement with the juvenile. A diversion agreement can require community service and supervision, as well as a fine, but the juvenile cannot be sentenced to detention unless after a hearing a judge decides the juvenile has violated the terms of the agreement. RCW 13.40.080(2), (6). Diversion agreements benefit the State and the juvenile. The more informal diversion process is faster than court proceedings. The process also keeps juvenile offenders out of institutions and in the community where the resources to deal with their behavior are better suited to their age. State v. Chatham, 28 Wn. App. 580, 624 P.2d 1180, review denied, 96 Wn.2d 1006 (1981); State v. Tracy M., 43 Wn. App. 888, 720 P.2d 841 (1986). Finally, although the diversion agreement may for a time figure into a juvenile's criminal history and therefore affect a detention sentence for a future offense, the agreement is not the same as a conviction. Thus, the juvenile does not have the same stigma of having been convicted of a crime. Comment, Diversion Agreements Under Washington's Juvenile Justice Act of 1977, 14 Gonz. L. Rev. 423, 432 (1979). The Supreme Court has promulgated a number of rules to control the procedure which the diversion unit and the juvenile must follow in order to enter into a diversion agreement. These rules are designed to protect the juvenile's constitutional and statutory rights while at the same time ensuring that the system functions efficiently and without the delays associated with formal hearings. JuCR 6.2(a) ensures that a juvenile shall be told of his or her right to discuss with a lawyer whether or not to enter into a diversion agreement prior to the initial interview with the diversion unit. JuCR 6.3 requires that a juvenile who has chosen to waive the right to counsel sign a written waiver form to that effect. JuCR 6.4 and 6.5 require the juvenile to be read to, and to sign an advice form describing the diversion agreement. That advice form specifically includes the fact that the agreement becomes part of the juvenile's criminal history.