Court Opinion

ID: 9698190
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 19:44:24.64508+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:39.220605
License: Public Domain

OTIS, Justice
(dissenting in part).
I agree with that part of the foregoing opinion which holds that statements made by the juvenile at the time of his arrest were relevant to the question of whether or not the public safety is served by his treatment under the laws relating to juvenile courts. However, I dissent from so much of the opinion as holds that the prosecutor’s offer of proof was inadequate and that in the light of the evidence received it would not change the result.
The pertinent portions of the colloquy by the counsel and the court are set forth as follows:
“MRS. BEITZ: The sole purpose of the testimony of this Witness is to introduce the statements of [the juvenile] made to this officer as to his involvement in the offense which was charged. It was not introduced for the purpose of ascertaining Probable Cause but again to get at factors which the Supreme Court has said are relevant concerning the seriousness of the offense, the circumstances surrounding the offense, and other aspects as it gets to the juvenile state of mind, involvement, and I think these are crucial issues for the Court to be able to consider in determining whether or not the juvenile system can cope with this particular individual.
“THE COURT: * * * I can’t see that reviewal of all the facts and circum*396stances has any bearing on answering that question. You can show such evidence as to whether he would abscond from juvenile institutions, you can show evidence bearing upon whether he is too dangerous to be handled in juvenile institutions as they now exist, but I’m not going to try the case all over again. Therefore, the objection is sustained as the question is asked and to the offer of proof as presented.
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“MRS. BEITZ: I’m having difficulty understanding why the statements of this young man as it relates to what he did and how he did it do not relate to his dangerousness. I will concede they do not relate to whether he may abscond but I am failing to understand the Court and I guess I would object to its, excuse me, take exception to its ruling that this evidence is inadmissible.
“THE COURT: * * * It is not so much what the child did but to prognosticate whether he must be handled in an adult prison or in a juvenile facility and I think that’s the only thing we are concerned with at this point.
“MRS. BEITZ: Your Honor, I guess I would argue that we cannot understand whether or not the juvenile system can handle this boy unless we understand what, in fact, he did.
“THE COURT: That’s admitted by the Petition. The Probable Cause Hearing has been waived.
“MRS. BEITZ: Well, Your Honor, if I may comment on that. I have no right to a Probable Cause Hearing. If the Public Defender waives a Probable Cause Hearing that in effect precludes the State from pressing evidence as I understand your ruling on one of the two distinctive aspects which the Court has said which the Supreme Court states and which the statute says this Court has to consider and that is the dangerousness, and I think that, I would, I guess all, I can do is preserve my record in saying by denying the admissibility of this evidence the Court is refusing to hear relevant evidence from the mouth of the individual involved as to the circumstances surrounding this offense and I would simply take exception and preserve my record.
* * * * * *
“THE COURT: To go back, that is not the ruling of the Court, Mrs. Beitz, but perhaps the only way you can prove all these things. I think I have tried three times to explain it. I see no reason to clutter the record trying once more to explain what I understand the issues are before this Court. At this point the Probable Cause has been waived and therefore I presume that the charges against the child are true as set [forth] in the Petition. Therefore, I see no reason going into the circumstances of the charges any more as they are presumed to be true. I don’t know why you want to elaborate on the circumstances of the charges because we presume them true by waiver of the Probable Cause Hearing. I can say no more. I have tried every way I can to explain the position of the Court. Now, let’s proceed.”
The persistent efforts of the prosecutor to persuade the court that statements made by the juvenile at the time of his apprehension directly bore on his dangerous propensities were consistently rebuffed by the trial court. The court made it clear that regardless of what those statements revealed with respect to the juvenile’s behavioral impact on public safety, the court would not permit the statements into evidence. In my opinion, it is unfair and unjust to suggest that the prosecutor had a duty to persist further in the face of the court’s growing impatience over counsel’s continuing to argue the matter.
Because we are holding that the statements of the juvenile were relevant, I would remand for the purpose of receiving them into evidence. Since we do not know what those statements would reveal, I cannot agree that they would not change the results as the foregoing opinion concludes.