In re Frances G. CA4/1

BACKGROUND

In April 2013, a teacher at Lincoln High School discovered that 21 iPads had been

stolen from a locked cart in a classroom. The theft was reported to the police. In July,

police officers executed a search warrant at the home where Frances lived. They found

one of the iPads in a bedroom she shared with her boyfriend. Frances said the iPad was

hers and her boyfriend had stolen it from a school. She gave her password to a police

officer, who then unlocked the iPad and found "Frances's iPad" in the settings. On the

back of the iPad was the San Diego Unified School District logo.

In September 2013, the district attorney filed a delinquency petition alleging one

count of receiving stolen property. The petition contained a "NOTICE PURSUANT TO

WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE SECTION 790" stating "The District

Attorney has determined that [Frances] is eligible to be considered by the juvenile court

for a deferred entry of judgment . . . ." The petition explained in detail the procedures for

deferred entry of judgment. There was a statement at the end of the petition

"that . . . [t]he above matter has been set for hearing on Oct[ober 7] . . . ."

2 On October 7,…