Opinion ID: 830335
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: mcl 712a.2

Text: Because a jury must be able to conclude that a defendant’s acts affected a child’s tendency to come under the court’s jurisdiction as defined in MCL 712A.2, we must also address MCL 712A.2. The prosecutor here argued that defendant’s acts tended to cause court jurisdiction as a result of both delinquency and neglect. I focus on neglect because the evidence on this point is particularly strong.5 Pursuant to MCL 712A.2(b), the family division of the circuit court may take jurisdiction over a child: (1) Whose parent or other person legally responsible for the care and maintenance of the juvenile, when able to do so, neglects or refuses to provide proper or necessary support, education, medical, surgical, or other care necessary for his or her health or morals, who is subject to a substantial risk of harm to his or her mental well-being, who is abandoned by his or her parents, guardian, or other custodian, or who is without proper custody or guardianship. . . . [or]