IN RE SHAWN STEPHEN SMITH

 Annotate this Case
Download PDF
STATE OF MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS In the Matter of SHAWN STEPHEN SMITH, Minor. PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, UNPUBLISHED June 6, 2000 Plaintiff-Appellee, v No. 214041 Wayne Circuit Court Juvenile Division LC No. 95-323543-DL SHAWN STEPHEN SMITH, Defendant-Appellant. Before: Hoekstra, P.J., and Holbrook, Jr. and Zahra, JJ. MEMORANDUM. Defendant appeals as of right the trial court’s order committing him to the Family Independence Agency. We affirm. Defendant came under the jurisdiction of the court when he was found guilty of larceny over $100. He was later adjudicated on a charge of possession with intent to deliver less than 25 grams of marijuana, and placed on probation under the supervision of his parents. Defendant violated his probation several times, and when other alternatives were not productive, the court committed defendant to the Family Independence Agency. MCL 712A.18; MSA 27.3178(598.18) governs the powers of the court in the disposition phase of juvenile matters. The court is empowered to place the juvenile in a suitable facility or institution. The limited appellate review of sentencing is applicable to juvenile criminal matters. In the matter of Chapel, 134 Mich App 308, 314; 350 NW2d 871 (1984). The court must articulate on the record the reasons for the disposition of the case. Id., 315. The trial court’s decision is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Id., 311. There is no showing that the court abused its discretion in committing defendant to the jurisdiction of the Family Independence Agency. Although the crimes committed by defendant were not heinous, defendant was repeatedly truant from his home and school. The court could reasonably -1­ conclude that defendant needed more supervision than his parents were able to supply. The court did not abuse its discretion in committing defendant to the Family Independence Agency. Affirmed. /s/ Joel P. Hoekstra /s/ Donald E. Holbrook, Jr. /s/ Brian K. Zahra -2­

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.