I.K. v. State
I.K. v. State
Opinion of the Court
I.K. appeals his adjudication of delinquency by the Polk County Circuit Court. He argues that the circuit court violated his due-process rights by adjudicating him delinquent for an offense for which the State did not charge-specifically by sua sponte amending the charge from second-degree terroristic threatening to second-degree assault at the conclusion of the bench trial. We affirm.
On March 6, 2018, the State filed a petition in the juvenile division of the Polk County Circuit Court seeking to adjudicate I.K. delinquent for committing the offense of terroristic threatening in the first degree, a Class D felony, in violation of Arkansas Code Annotated section 5-13-301(a)(1) (Supp. 2017). In the petition, the State alleged that appellant threatened to "shoot up" the Mena High School campus.
On April 4, 2016, at the beginning of the hearing on the petition, the State amended the charge to terroristic threatening in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, in violation of Arkansas Code Annotated section 5-13-301(b)(1) (Supp. 2017). At the end of the evidence the circuit court found:
[T]o sustain a charge of terroristic threatening in the second degree under Title 5 Chapter 13 section 301, the statute requires that a person commits the offense of terroristic threatening in the second degree if with the purpose of terrorizing another person, the person threatens to cause physical injury or property damage to another person.
Now, the evidence that I've heard here today, the conversation that took place between [I.K.] and Dustin was not with the purpose of terrorizing Dustin, by making those threats. However, when he said, "No, if I shoot up your school I will tell you, but if I come to school that day, you're f* * *ed." Then, that to me constitutes assault in the second degree, which is defined as:
A person commits assault in the second degree if he or she recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of physical injury to another person.
Whether it was a joke or not it was reckless. You're guilty of assault in the second degree. And that's what the Court finds. I'm gonna place you on probation for a period of six months, [I. K.], under the standard conditions of probation. I'll need an order prepared to that effect. And you will need to meet with Ms. Hillard just as soon as we leave court. Okay. Anything else, in this matter?
The circuit court in effect sua sponte amended the charge to assault in the second degree, a Class B misdemeanor, in violation of *581Arkansas Code Annotated section 5-13-206(a) (Repl. 2013), at the end of the trial and sentenced I.K. accordingly. Although counsel and the circuit court subsequently discussed the possibility of a diversion, it is undisputed that neither I.K.'s counsel nor the State objected to the circuit court's sua sponte change in the charge. I.K. was sentenced to six months of supervised probation pursuant to an order of adjudication filed on May 18, 2018. He filed a timely notice of appeal, and this appeal followed.
I.K. argues that the circuit court erred in sua sponte amending the charge to an uncharged, non-lesser-included offense. The United States Supreme Court has extended constitutional due-process protections to juveniles. See In re Gault ,
Although juvenile proceedings need not conform with all the requirements of a criminal trial, essential requirements of due process and fair treatment must be met. Golden v. State ,
The Arkansas Constitution provides that the duty of charging an accused with a felony is reserved to the grand jury or to the prosecutor. Ark. Const. amend. 21, § 1. The Arkansas Supreme Court has consistently held that a circuit court does not have the authority to amend a charge brought by the prosecuting attorney. See State v. Brooks ,
Because second-degree assault is not a lesser-included offense of second-degree terroristic threatening, this case does not involve the amendment of the initial charge to one of a lesser-included offense as in X.O.P. where this court affirmed the adjudication, explaining that "[b]y virtue of the fact that XOP was on notice of the greater offense, he cannot claim surprise by the circuit court's true finding as to the lesser-included offense." X.O.P. ,
A person commits the offense of terroristic threatening in the second degree if, with the purpose of terrorizing another person, he threatens to cause physical injury or property damage to another person.
A juvenile defendant must raise a due-process challenge at the circuit court level in order to preserve the issue for appellate review. E.g. , C.M. v. State ,
We find no merit in appellant's argument that a contemporaneous objection was not required to preserve this issue for appeal because the circuit court exceeded its subject matter jurisdiction. See M.S v. State ,
I.K. acknowledges that he failed to raise this issue at the circuit court level but attempts to overcome his failure to preserve the argument by claiming that his due-process challenge stripped the circuit court of subject-matter jurisdiction. Arkansas appellate courts have rejected similar arguments arising from criminal proceedings. See Cantrell v. State ,
Here, despite appellant's attempt to blur the lines of the argument in his conclusory statements regarding both a due-process argument and a lack of authority, we hold that I.K.'s argument does not involve the circuit court's subject-matter jurisdiction; rather, he is arguing an alleged due-process violation, which must be raised below. See, e.g. , Cantrell ,
As a reminder, we reiterate this court's admonition from Bell ,
Because appellant's failure to raise the issue of notice about the sentencing enhancement at trial precludes this court from addressing it here, we affirm on this point.
Nonetheless, we are troubled by the trial court presenting this issue to the jury. The decision to charge appellant with a sentencing enhancement lies within the discretion of the prosecuting attorney, not the trial judge. Compare State v. Knight ,318 Ark. 158 , 162,884 S.W.2d 258 , 260 (1994) ("The Arkansas Constitution provides that the duty of charging an accused with a felony is reserved to the grand jury or to the prosecutor.... We have consistently held that a circuit judge does not have the authority to amend the charge brought by the prosecuting attorney.").
*583By instructing the jury to consider the sentencing enhancement, the trial judge took the discretion away from the prosecuting attorney and violated appellant's right to know the charges brought against him. While appellant's failure to preserve the point precludes us from determining whether the trial judge's actions constitute reversible error, we emphasize that such conduct is not viewed favorably on appellate review if it is timely challenged at trial.
Affirmed.
Gruber, C.J., and Brown, J., agree.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.