In re Christopher A. CA4/3

FACTS

Christopher was 16 years old on July 9, 2012. On that day, Christopher “unlawfully assaulted and battered” his two brothers. He admitted to the police, “I have a really bad temper. I get easily provoked.” Based on Christopher‟s signed waivers and admissions, the court found the four counts alleged in the petition to be true beyond a reasonable doubt. The court declared Christopher a ward of the court and placed him on supervised probation. The court committed Christopher to the care, custody, and control of the probation officer. The court also ordered Christopher released to his parents upon termination of commitment, and to obey various probation conditions. 1 All statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code, unless otherwise stated.

2 Only one of the probation conditions is at issue here. The court required Christopher to participate in a 52-week batterer‟s program, expressing its belief that this order was mandatory: “I find and rule that the provisions of Penal Code section 1203.097 apply in juvenile court. This is a domestic violence matter. . . . [¶] Therefore, I do require that he complete the functional equivalent of a batterer‟s treatment program…