Court Opinion

ID: 9862401
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-25 01:09:11.914117+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:25:22.187741
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion
Arterburn, J.
I cannot agree with the tendency of the majority of the members of this Court to make juvenile proceedings conform to criminal proceedings. When we appoint an attorney for a delinquent, we put such child in a position of arrogance in a court to defy law officials and we create a worse social problem than treating him as a child should be treated by parents.
In this case this girl, charged with delinquency and truancy, was given an attorney and given a hearing, with the attorney present. The evidence seems to me to prove overwelmingly and without much contradiction that the girl was an habitual truant from school and to a large extent was aided and abetted by her mother, yet the court reverses this whole proceeding because it is said the judge would not permit the girl to testify. Her lawyer was present. He did not make any offer to prove what her testimony would be. This is a necessary preliminary step in order that the judge may determine properly, after such an offer, whether the testimony is material and the witness may be heard. If a refusal takes place the error is then saved for an appeal. These steps were not taken in this case, even though an attorney was appointed for this juvenile. The attorney was present in court and was appointed for the purpose of protecting this girl’s rights to save, if he thought best, what might be an error on appeal. This attorney used *333his judgment in this case and did not confront the trial court with a direct ruling in order to save error for appeal.
Either there are rules of procedure which must be followed for an appeal, or there are not. If we waive them in a case such as this, then they should be waived in all cases, with no discrimination. I see no reason in this case for eliminating a normal, reasonable rule for saving error on appeal, which gives the trial judge an opportunity to know the error is being saved for appeal, and he may act accordingly. There is no reason to waive that rule in this proceeding. If we have rules, I believe they should be observed and not waived, unless an unusual hardship arises which warrants, by a factual showing, grounds for such waiver. Juvenile delinquency arises from the permissive, undisciplined environment that exists with children, as is evident in this case. It is a result of a refusal to conform to society’s rules or a majority rule.
In this case, this girl had a competent attorney who would not conform to the procedure necessary for an appeal on that ground. We are perpetuating one wrong on another in reversing this case and sending it back to the trial court.
Note. — Reported in 253 N. E. 2d 266.