In Re Byron B.

On October 17, 1978, an amended supplemental petition was filed in the Tulare County Superior Court, sitting as a juvenile court. That petition alleged, in pertinent part, as follows:

On October 18, 1978, appellant appeared before the referee of the juvenile court and denied the allegations of the amended supplemental petition. The matter was set for a contested (jurisdictional) hearing on October 30, 1978, with a pretrial hearing scheduléd for October 25, 1978.

On October 25, 1978, appellant appeared before the Honorable Jay R. Ballantyne, sitting as a juvenile court judge, withdrew his denial of the amended supplemental petition, and admitted the allegations. After appellant’s trial counsel informed the court that appellant was prepared to admit the amended supplemental petition, Judge Ballantyne advised appellant of the specific allegations of the petition and elicited from appellant that he had had a chance to go over all the circumstances with his trial counsel.

Next, the judge advised appellant that his admission of the petition would entail the giving up of his rights to a speedy hearing, to confront and cross-examine witnesses, compulsory process, to testify in…