Matter of TLG

I N THE SUPREME COURT O THE STATE O MONTANA F F NO. 84-502 I N THE M T E OF: ATR T.L.G. and M.E.H., Youths. ORDER D E N Y I N G WRIT AND O P I N I O N f&m~ OF @UPREME COURT GE X L ~ ~ ~ ABilhsnTANA The S t a t e o f Montana, a c t i n g t h r o u g h t h e County A t t o r - n e y ' s o f f i c e of B u t t e - S i l v e r Bow, Montana, h a s made a p p l i c a - t i o n t o t h i s Court seeking a w r i t of supervisory control, a w r i t of p r o h i b i t i o n , o r other appropriate w r i t , against the Youth C o u r t o f t h e Second J u d i c i a l D i s t r i . c t o f t h e S t a t e o f Montana, i n and f o r t h e County o f S i l v e r Bow. The writ sought would in effect overrule the Youth Court's order of November 13, 1984, denying the State's motion to arrest proceedings in t w o c a s e s pending i n t h e Youth Court involving T.L.G. and M.E.H. The youths are f a c i n g c h a r g e s i n t h e Youth C o u r t t h a t e a c h i s a d e l i n q u e n t y o u t h i n t h a t e a c h had committed t h r e e c o u n t s o f d e l i b e r a t e homicide, t h a t T.L.G. had committed r o b b e r y by a c c o u n t a b i l i - ty, and that M.E.H. had committed robbery, all felonies. T.L.G. i s f o u r t e e n y e a r s o f a g e , h a v i n g been b o r n on J a n u a r y 16, 1970. M.E.H. i s f i f t e e n y e a r s o f a g e , h a v i n g been b o r n on March 1, 1969. The p u r p o s e o f t h e S t a t e i n moving t o a r r e s t p r o c e e d - i n g s i n t h e Youth C o u r t was t o f u r t h e r move t h a t t h e y o u t h s b e t r a n s f e r r e d t o c r i m i n a l c o u r t u n d e r 5 41-5-206, MCA. That statute, however, requires t h a t b e f o r e s u c h c h a r g e s may b e transferred to the criminal court, the youth charged must have been sixteen years of age or more at the time of the conduct alleged to be unlawful. In making the application, the State contends in effect that the sixteen-year-old requirement for transfer has the effect of placing in the Youth Court total iurisdiction over all criminal cases amounting to a fel.ony if the youth charged is less than sixteen years old and that such statutory provi- sion is in con£l i c with Art. VII, Sec. 4 ( 1 ) ..t , Montana Consti- tution 1972. We set out in full the constitutional provision in question: "Section 4. District court jurisdiction. (1) The district court has original iurisdiction in all criminal cases amounting to felony and all civil matters and cases at law and in equity. ... " (3) Other courts ma.y have jurisdiction of criminal cases not amounting to felony and such jurisdiction concurrent with that of the district court as may be provided. by law. " The State contends that the provisions of the 1972 Montana Constitution gives t.he District Court original juris- diction in all criminal cases amounting to a felony, and that und-er the decision of this Court in State ex r ] . Ell-iot v. e. District Court (Mont. 1984), 684 P.2d 481, 41 St.Rep. 1184, an individual under the age of sixteen is legally caps-ble of committing a felony. We have concluded that the State is not entitled to relief by supervisory control, writ of prohibition, or other writ for two principal reasons: ( 1 ) the term "original iuris- diction" as used in Art. VII, Sec. 4, of the 1372 Montana Consti.tution should not be interpreted to mean exclusive -jurisdiction; and (2) in any event, wher; the Youth Court acts, it is the District Court acting in that capacity. If the term "original jurisdiction," as used in the Constitution, meant "exclusive original jurisdiction," as the State here assumes, it would mean, of course, that the ].egis- lature would have no power to provide for the prosecution of a crime amounting to a felony in any other forum but a Dis- trict Court. Courts have not given the term "original juris- diction" such a narrow construction. The question has a-risen in several cases interpreting the term "original jurisdic- tion" found in the Civil Rights Act in 42 U.S.C. § 1983. For example, in Brown v. Pitchess (Cal. 1975), 119 Cal..Rptr. 204, "Unless Congress confers exclusive juris- diction on federal courts, state courts competent to exercise it have concurrent jurisdiction to enforce federal law in civil actions. [Citing authority.] "Section 1983 does not itself address the question of jurisdiction. The jurisdic- tional provision governing section 1983--28 United States Code section 1343(3)--confers 'original jurisdiction' on the federal district courts. The phrase 'original jurisdiction' means the power to entertain cases in the first instance, as distinguished from appellate jurisdiction; it does not mean exclusive iurisdiction. [Citing authority.] When intending to confer exclusive, as well as original, jurisdiction on the federal district courts, Congress is quite capa- ble of making itself understood. For example, section 1338(a) of title 28 of - the United States Code provides: ' The district courts sha.11 have original iurisdiction of any civil action arising under any Act of Congress relating to - patents, plant variety protection, copy- rights and trademarks. Such jurisdiction shall be exclusive of the courts of the sta-tes n patent, plant variety protec- i tion and copyright cases.'" In accord see, Sanchez v. Attorney General (N.M. 1979), 598 P.2d 1170; Will-iams v. Greene (N.C. 19781, 243 S.E.2d 156. We determine that nothing in the language of the Con- stitution using the term "original jurisdiction," without additional language showing that such jurisdiction is to be exclusive, prevents the prosecution of youths as delinquents under the Youth Court Act in cases amounting to felony. Nothing that this Court said in State ex rel. Elliot v. District Court, supra, conflicts with that determination. The second reason that. we determine that the state constitution is not offended by the prosecution of felonies in the Youth Court is that it appears obvious that the Youth Court, when it acts in jurisdiction, is acting as a District Court. Section 41-5-201, MCA, provides that each judicial district of the state shall have at least one judge of the Youth Court. It further provides that in multi-judge judi- cial districts the judges shall by court rule designate one of their number to act as a Youth Court judge in each county of the c?istrict. The legislature encourages continuity of service as to the appointed Youth Court judge. Id. In Youth Court cases, however, the legislature has provided for "ex- clusive original jurisdiction," saying: "41-5-203. Juridiction - - court. of the Except as provided in subsection (2) the court has exclusive original jurisdiction of all proceedings under the Montana Youth Court Act in which a youth is alleged to be a delinquent youth . . ." The exception noted in 5 41-5-203, MCA, relates to concurrent jurisdiction in justice, municipal and city courts with respect to alcoholic beverage violations and traffic or fish and game law viol.ations, and has no application here. The constitutional framers recognized. that the Legisla- ture might enact laws which enhance the protection of persons not adults. In Art. 11, Sec. 15, 1972 Mont. Const., it provided that the rights of persons under eighteen years of age include all the fundamental rights granted by the Consti- tution unless specifically precluded by laws "which enhance the protection of such persons." In accordance with these view, IT IS HEREBY ORDEFED that the application of the State in this cause for 2 writ of supervisory control, writ of prohibition or other appropriate writ be DENIED and the application is dismissed. The Clerk of this Court shall serve copies of this order and opinion upon counsel of record for the parties, and upon the Youth Court of the Second Judicial District. %i DATED this - day of December, 19f!4. * '\ / 4 ,IXJ , / ! k ,, , Justice B he concur: 7 - Chief Justice Justice Frank R . Morrison, Jr., has authorized a statement that he concurs with the foregoing result but would deny the application for reason that a fifteen-year-old youth cannot be charged with a felony during the time he or she is a youth. Since a felony charge cannot be filed, the constitu- tional provision given the District Court jurisdiction of felonies has no application.