State v. Sharon

Decision Date25 August 1983
Docket NumberNo. 49392-8,49392-8
Citation100 Wn.2d 230,668 P.2d 584
CourtWashington Supreme Court
PartiesSTATE of Washington, Respondent, v. Allen Wayne SHARON, Petitioner.

Washington Appellate Defender, Julie Kesler, Seattle, for petitioner.

Norman K. Maleng, King County Prosecutor, Barbara Linde, Deputy Pros. Atty., Seattle, for respondent.

BRACHTENBACH, Justice.

Petitioner was charged with second degree assault in Lewis County. The juvenile court declined jurisdiction on the basis that "the juvenile system is unable to control respondent's assaultive behavior." There is no challenge to the validity of that decline order.

About 7 months later petitioner was charged with second degree burglary in King County Juvenile Court, the prosecutor being unaware of the earlier Lewis County decline. Upon learning of the prior decline order, the prosecutor moved for dismissal in juvenile court with intent to file the charges in adult court. The juvenile court denied the motion. The Court of Appeals reversed. State v. Sharon, 33 Wash.App. 491, 655 P.2d 1193 (1982). We affirm the Court of Appeals.

We agree with and only summarize the analysis of the Court of Appeals.

First, the statute vested jurisdiction in the juvenile court of "any individual who is under the chronological age of eighteen years and who has not been previously transferred to adult court ". (Italics ours.) RCW 13.40.020(10).

We find the statute unambiguous. Once a juvenile offender has been transferred to adult court, that person no longer meets the definition of a "juvenile" over which the juvenile court has jurisdiction. We may not believe that this is the best approach to the treatment of juvenile offenders, but it is a matter within the discretion of the Legislature to determine the manner of treatment of juvenile offenders.

The only other challenge by petitioner is that this result is a denial of due process. We again agree with the analysis of the Court of Appeals on this issue. We additionally answer petitioner's extensive reliance on Kent v. United States, 383 U.S. 541, 86 S.Ct. 1045, 16 L.Ed.2d 84 (1966). The original decline decision is not challenged. Kent does not mandate an additional decline hearing on subsequent offenses. Inherent in this conclusion is the assumption that at the original decline hearing the court exercised discretion and applied the due process requirement of Kent. If the record affirmatively indicates such exercise of discretion and consideration of the...

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21 cases
  • State v. Watkins
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • 16 August 2018
    ...Sandomingo, 39 Wash. App. 709, 711, 695 P.2d 592 (1985) ; State v. Sharon, 33 Wash. App. 491, 494, 655 P.2d 1193 (1982)aff'd, 100 Wash.2d 230, 668 P.2d 584 (1983) ; State v. Hodges, 28 Wash. App. 902, 904, 626 P.2d 1025 (1981). And "the right [to a Kent hearing] attaches only if a court is ......
  • Boot, In re
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • 7 November 1996
    ...to adult court pursuant to RCW 13.40.110 or who is otherwise under adult court jurisdiction[.] This Court said in State v. Sharon, 100 Wash.2d 230, 231, 668 P.2d 584 (1983): "Once a juvenile offender has been transferred to adult court, that person no longer meets the definition of a 'juven......
  • State v. Salavea
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • 11 March 2004
    ...964 (1996); Dixon, 114 Wash.2d at 860, 792 P.2d 137; State v. Sharon, 33 Wash.App. 491, 494-95, 655 P.2d 1193 (1982), aff'd, 100 Wash.2d 230, 668 P.2d 584 (1983). Absent statutory discretion to assign jurisdiction, a defendant cannot suffer prejudice because his case was not adjudicated in ......
  • State v. Warner
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • 23 February 1995
    ...is no constitutional right to be tried as a juvenile. State v. Sharon, 33 Wash.App. 491, 494, 655 P.2d 1193 (1982), aff'd, 100 Wash.2d 230, 668 P.2d 584 (1983). However, a delay that causes the loss of juvenile court jurisdiction will satisfy the minimal requirements of prejudice under the ......
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3 books & journal articles
  • Table of Cases
    • United States
    • Washington State Bar Association Washington Family Law Deskbook (WSBA) Table of Cases
    • Invalid date
    ...41.09 Shannon, In re Marriage of, 55 Wn. App. 137, 777 P.2d 8 (1989) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65.04[1] Sharon; State v., 100 Wn.2d 230, 668 P.2d 584 (1983) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77.02; 77.05 Shaver v. Shaver (In re Shaver), 736 F.2d 1314 (9th Cir. 1984) . . ......
  • §77.05 Declination of Jurisdiction in Favor of Adult Court
    • United States
    • Washington State Bar Association Washington Family Law Deskbook (WSBA) Chapters 78-79 [Reserved]
    • Invalid date
    ...suspect is found guilty in adult court of the charge or charges that formed the basis of the decline. RCW 13.40.020(15); State v. Sharon, 100 Wn.2d 230, 668 P.2d 584 (1983). Note, however, that the exclusive adult jurisdiction provisions of RCW 13.04.030(1)(e)(v), discussed in § 77.04(3), a......
  • §77.02 Statutory Definitions
    • United States
    • Washington State Bar Association Washington Family Law Deskbook (WSBA) Chapters 78-79 [Reserved]
    • Invalid date
    ...13.40.110 decline hearing is thereafter treated as an adult for all future cases charged after the transfer takes place. State v. Sharon, 100 Wn.2d 230, 668 P.2d 584 (1983); State v. Mitchell, 32 Wn. App. 499, 648 P.2d 456 (1982). The principle, often referred to as "once declined, always d......

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