In re E.A. CA1/1

INTRODUCTION

Defendant E.A., a minor, appeals the juvenile court’s dispositional orders terminating his dependency status and declaring him a ward of the court. Defendant contends that the juvenile court erred by declaring him a ward of the court and violated his constitutional and statutory rights to due process by holding a jurisdictional hearing pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code1 section 600 before ordering an assessment pursuant to section 241.1. As explained below, we reject these contentions of error. However, defendant also contends his maximum custody exposure should be reduced by six months, and the Attorney General concurs, as do we. Accordingly, we direct the

1 Unless otherwise indicated, all further unspecified statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

1 juvenile court to amend the dispositional order to reflect a maximum time of confinement of three years, and otherwise affirm.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. Dependency Proceedings By the time defendant was adjudged a ward of the court at 14 years old in May 2013, defendant and his family had experienced a long history of contact and involvement with child welfare services.…