Court Opinion

ID: 9602548
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:56:42.098321+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:04.691560
License: Public Domain

CROCKETT, Justice
(dissenting):
I would reject the argued defense on the first ground discussed in the dissent of Chief Justice Ellett: that in her status as a minor the daughter should not be regarded as an accomplice.
The provision of the Juvenile Court Act which deals with charging a child with an offense is Sec. 55 — 10—105(4):
No child shall be charged with crime nor be convicted in any court except as provided in section 55 — 10—86 [Emphasis added.]
The latter section provides that for an offense which would constitute a felony if committed by an adult, if after full investigation and a hearing the court determines that the best interest of the child or of the public so require, the court may make an order to that effect and direct that the child then be so certified for proceedings in the district court. Until such a procedure had occurred, there could be no proceedings of a criminal nature against the victim.
The analysis of this situation which I think is correct under the law, and which best serves the requirements of justice, is that the daughter was a minor under the domination of her parent; and that until her status had been judicially changed by the procedure above mentioned, she could not be charged nor convicted of the crime of which defendant was found guilty, and that she therefore would not be an accomplice in his perpetrating this shameful and iniquitous offense upon her. The reversal of the verdict of the jury on the pseudo technical defense is both a distortion of justice in this case and a serious disservice to the processes of justice generally.