In re R.C. CA1/4

I. BACKGROUND

A. The Juvenile Wardship Petition and Initial Proceedings On December 20, 2022, the Contra Costa County District Attorney filed a juvenile wardship petition alleging R.C., then 15 years old, had committed two offenses: possessing a loaded firearm by a prohibited person (Pen. Code, § 25850, subds. (a), (c)(4)) and carrying a concealed firearm (Pen. Code, § 25400, subds. (a)(1), (c)(4)). A January 22, 2024 probation report summarizes the factual circumstances underlying these allegations. The report indicates that in December 2022, R.C. and two other individuals attempted to rob a drug dealer they had arranged to meet in a park, supposedly to buy marijuana. When they met him, they fled with his marijuana. The dealer shot at them and one of the individuals was hit and died as a result. R.C. was arrested near the incident with a loaded firearm with a high capacity magazine and a bag of marijuana in his possession. In December 2022, R.C. pleaded no contest to the carrying a concealed firearm allegation; the Contra Costa County juvenile court sustained the allegation, and granted the prosecution’s motion to dismiss the other charge. The case was then transferred to the…