Court Opinion

ID: 9793516
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:48:58.647095+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:05:40.003670
License: Public Domain

OPINION
THOMPSON, Presiding Judge.
¶ 1 The state appeals from the juvenile court’s denial of the state’s motion for a restitution hearing. For the following reasons, we reverse the holding of the juvenile court.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
¶ 2 On November 7, 1997, the state filed a petition alleging that Devon G. (juvenile) had committed one count of criminal damage and one count of curfew violation. On January 22, 1998, juvenile admitted to the charge of criminal damage, and he agreed to pay restitution in an amount not to exceed $10,-000.00. At the disposition hearing on March 5, 1998, the court placed juvenile on probation and ordered that he pay $312.36 to the one victim who had presented a timely claim.
¶ 3 One week later, the state discovered that two other victims were requesting claims totaling $412.35. The state filed a motion for a restitution hearing. The juvenile court denied the motion as untimely. The state timely appealed. This court has *463jurisdiction pursuant to Rules 24 through 29, Rules of Procedure for Juvenile Court.
DISCUSSION
¶ 4 This court will not disturb the juvenile court’s disposition absent an abuse of discretion. See Maricopa County Juvenile Action No. JV-510312, 183 Ariz. 116, 118, 901 P.2d 464, 466 (App.1995). Because the juvenile court abused its discretion in denying the state’s motion for a restitution hearing, we reverse.
¶ 5 A juvenile court is required “[t]o make full or partial restitution to the victim.” Ariz.Rev.Stat. Ann. (A.R.S.) § 8-241(D)(1)(Supp.l997). Further, a “court shall require the convicted person to make restitution to the person who is the victim of the crime.” A.R.S. § 13-603(C). Victims do not waive their right to restitution by failing to contact the court in a timely manner. See State v. Steffy, 173 Ariz. 90, 93, 839 P.2d 1135, 1138 (App.1992).
¶ 6 In State v. Contreras, 180 Ariz. 450, 452, 885 P.2d 138, 140 (App.1994), this court held that a trial court may modify probation to impose restitution after probation is ordered and in the absence of grounds supporting revocation. Specifically, this court upheld the trial court’s imposition of restitution to victims who did not respond to the court in a timely manner. See id. at 454, 885 P.2d at 142.
¶7 Juvenile attempts to distinguish Contreras in two ways. First, he argues that in Contreras, the trial court “made specific provisions for claims of economic loss should they be subsequently raised.” This is a misstatement of the case. At the change of plea hearing, the trial court in Contreras simply noted that, “[i]f there was any economic loss suffered by the victims, I will be requiring you to pay restitution.” Id. at 452, 885 P.2d at 140. The trial court capped Contreras’s restitution at $1,000.00. See id. The court subsequently accepted untimely claims from the victims, but maintained the previous $1,000.00 limit. See id. at 452-53, 885 P.2d at 140-41. This case presents identical circumstances. When juvenile signed his plea agreement, he acknowledged a duty to pay restitution. While the plea agreement specifically noted a claim for $312.36, the agreement generally capped juvenile’s restitution at $10,000.00. The state subsequently received two additional claims totaling $412.35. This was easily within the $10,000.00 limit established by the plea agreement. The trial court abused its discretion in denying the state’s request for a restitution hearing.
¶ 8 Second, juvenile argues that in Contreras, the defendant stipulated that he understood that the terms and conditions of his probation were subject to modification. This, however, does not distinguish Contreras at all. Modification of probation is typical in juvenile cases, since the juvenile court retains jurisdiction “until the child attains the age of eighteen.” A.R.S. § 8-250(A) (Supp.1997). A court must use its discretion to “modify or add to the conditions of probation ‘at any time prior to the expiration or termination of the period of probation.’ ” Contreras, 180 Ariz. at 453, 885 P.2d at 141 (quoting State v. Foy, 176 Ariz. 166, 168, 859 P.2d 789, 791 (App.1993)). Juvenile’s attempts to distinguish Contreras are not persuasive.
¶ 9 This court has had two recent occasions to discuss the application of Contreras in juvenile proceedings. In In re Frank H., 193 Ariz. 433, 973 P.2d 1194 (App.1998), review denied, March 23, 1999, another panel of this court affirmed the juvenile court’s refusal to order restitution which was requested after deadlines set by the trial judges. Reasoning from the opinion in In re Eric L., 189 Ariz. 482, 943 P.2d 842 (App.1997), review denied, September 16, 1997, holding that a juvenile disposition is not final for purposes of appeal until mandatory restitution is awarded, the panel concluded that cutting off restitution claims was necessary to preserve the juvenile’s right to appeal. See Frank H., 193 Ariz. at 436, 973 P.2d at 1197. Remarking that it was in the “unique nature of the juvenile justice system” that only final orders are appealable and the disposition is not final until restitution is ordered, the panel held that restitution deadlines were justifiable to avoid nullification of “juveniles’ statutory rights to appeal.” Id. at 436, 973 P.2d at 1197. We observe here that *464the holding in Eric L. that the final, appeal-able order is that which orders restitution is based on the fact that restitution is mandatory in juvenile proceedings. 189 Ariz. at 484, 943 P.2d at 844. Of course, restitution is also mandatory in adult proceedings, see A.R.S. § 13-603(C), and thus juvenile proceedings are not unique in this respect. The Frank H. analysis, if also applied in adult criminal cases, would result in a significant diminution in the enforceability of the constitutional right of victims to receive restitution.
¶ 10 In In re Alton D., 193 Ariz. 98, 102-03, 970 P.2d 452, 456-57 (App.1998), however, yet another panel of this court limited Frank H. so that restitution deadlines do not cut off the rights of victims later to seek restitution by way of a modification of the terms of probation, as in Contreras. Any restitution order after the deadline is separately appeal-able. See id. at 102, 970 P.2d at 456. We find the analysis in Alton D. persuasive, as it effectually determines the appealability of juvenile court dispositions in a manner that is consistent with both the right of juveniles to appeal and the right of victims to obtain restitution. In addition, because any modification of juvenile probation to allow a subsequent restitution order would require notice and a hearing, see Pinal County Juvenile Action No. J-169, 131 Ariz. 187, 189, 639 P.2d 377, 379 (App.1981), the rights of all parties in such modification proceedings are effectuated.
¶ 11 The court in Alton D. noted that, because the juvenile therein had agreed to pay restitution, his case was different from several of the cases consolidated in Frank H., in which there was no such agreement. See Alton D., 193 Ariz. 98, 970 P.2d at 454-55. Although the juvenile in the instant case, as in Alton D., agreed to pay restitution, we do not consider this circumstance dispositive. Restitution is mandatory in all juvenile cases, and the enforceability of a victim’s right to restitution does not depend upon the juvenile’s cooperation, but upon the law and the constitution.
CONCLUSION
¶ 12 For the foregoing reasons, we reverse the juvenile court’s denial of the state’s motion for a restitution hearing.