Court Opinion

ID: 9621122
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 05:51:53.55279+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:04:15.513902
License: Public Domain

*862GUIDUGLI, Judge,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I concur in part and respectfully dissent in part. I believe that Humphrey was entitled to a transfer hearing pursuant to KRS 640.010(2). It should not be waived. This statute provides essential protections for juveniles consistent with the legislative intent set forth in KRS 600.010. Whether a juvenile, his attorney, the Commonwealth or even the District Court Judge wishes to expedite the matter by waiving the hearing is not the important factor in this consideration. Rather it is the protection of rights given to juveniles by the legislature. The use of the term shall denotes that the transfer hearing must take place and that certain factors must be presented prior to transferring a juvenile to circuit court. The consequences of a juvenile being treated as an adult in circuit court are significant and have life-long effects. To mandate the Commonwealth present evidence sufficient under KRS 640.010(2)(b) to justify removing a juvenile from these many protections is not an unreasonable burden. The statute mandates it and the juvenile courts should adhere to it. I concur in all other aspects of the majority opinion.