Opinion ID: 1434386
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: substantive considerations.

Text: As pointed out in Seven Minors, the juvenile courts have in the past necessarily focused their interest on the welfare of the individual child before the court. As a consequence, juvenile courts have, in making transfer decisions, centered their attention on the child's best interests and have been concerned primarily with the question of whether the child before the court was likely to benefit from the juvenile court system. If, under the traditional rule, a child was determined to be amenable to juvenile court treatment, the child was retained within that jurisdiction; if not, the child would be transferred to the adult criminal court. Seven Minors presents a departure from traditional juvenile court jurisprudence. Instead of allowing considerations concerning the welfare of the child to predominate, juvenile courts will emphasize the public interest and will concern themselves with whether or not justice and the public interest require that the offender be punished as an adult. Some youthful offenders, by reason of their conduct, can no longer be properly considered as children to be received by a childrens' court. Such offenders must, in the public interest and in the interest of justice, be removed from the childrens' court, the juvenile court, and be subjected to the punishment and accountability which we all must face if we engage in the commission of criminal offenses. In Seven Minors substantive standards for transfer were declared. These standards were based primarily on the conduct of the minor rather than on a subjective evaluation as to how the minor might respond to juvenile court treatment. Thus, juvenile courts consider, as primary factors in making the transfer decision, the nature and seriousness of the charged offense or offenses and the persistency and seriousness of past adjudicated or admitted criminal offenses; that is to say, they are interested primarily in the conduct of a minor rather than in subjective predictions about what might or might not happen in the juvenile's life if he is kept and treated in the juvenile court system. Juvenile courts may also consider other, subjective factors, for example, mitigating circumstances which appear from an evaluation of a minor's personal characteristics such as age, maturity, character, personality, attitude, family relationships, and the like. Such factors alone may not be used to support a decision to transfer, but they may be considered in deciding that justice does not require transfer in the particular case. Adoption of these objective, public interest oriented standards serves the ends of justice and is far more likely to hold youthful criminal offenders accountable for their crimes. Applying such standards will not allow for lenient treatment in juvenile courts for those who commit serious or repetitive offenses. Also, the practice of transferring, out of frustration, older youths who have committed relatively minor or trivial offenses cannot take place. We disapprove of any practice which results in young persons who come within the statutory jurisdictional age limits of the juvenile court being transferred to adult court because a treatment program is supposedly unavailable to the juvenile court or because the youth has an unfortunately bad attitude. If minors are transferred to the adult court under the standards established in Seven Minors, they will be transferred largely because they deserve it or because the public interest demands it. It is quite apparent from the record that the Seven Minors standards were not applied in these cases. They were all decided before Seven Minors, and it is understandable that generally accepted child welfare standards were applied in these cases. Examination of the records in the three cases reveals that consideration under the Seven Minors standard might bring about different results.
The record in this case shows that the juvenile had no past delinquency record; he has never voluntarily admitted nor has he been adjudicated to have committed any criminal offense. He stands charged now with a number of property offenses, all of which originate out of the same criminal episode. The record indicates that officials encouraged some of this conduct by way of their attempts to further a sting-type of operation. It may be that when considered in light of Seven Minors, it will appear to the juvenile court that the charged offenses are so serious and threatening as to require adult prosecution and adult punishment; it may not. In any event, this case should be considered in accordance with the rule stated in Seven Minors. The case is reversed and remanded with instructions to reconsider the transfer decision accordingly.
The case of Kevin P. also calls for reevaluation under Seven Minors standards for it appears that Seven Minors standards were not applied and that if they were, transfer would be unlikely. Kevin's record consists of his having had possession of a stolen moped. He is now charged with possession of a stolen Datsun. Transfer quite possibly was improperly based more on unavailability of customary juvenile court services for Kevin, who was seventeen at the time, than on his record or seriousness of the charged offense. This question must be resolved upon reconsideration by the juvenile court of the proper Seven Minors factors thought to support transfer; the case is therefore reversed and remanded for this purpose.
Examination of the record in Angelo W. shows that Angelo has previous adjudications of burglary and larceny and that he has been committed to the Nevada Youth Training Center. We do not find any substantive abuse of discretion under Seven Minors, and although this case must be reversed on procedural grounds, it is not reversible on substantive grounds.