In re Elijah C.

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS BELOW

On March 7, 2012, Elijah, who was then 14 years old, visited a friend’s house. Valerie Hernandez, the friend’s mother, saw Elijah playing with Hernandez’s iPod Touch. After Elijah left, Hernandez noticed that the iPod was missing. When police officers confronted Elijah, he admitted that he had the iPod, and went into his house and retrieved it. Authorities did not immediately file a petition against Elijah in the juvenile court. Instead, the district attorney’s office offered him entry in its Juvenile Offender Intervention Network (JOIN) program, a diversion program for first-time, nonviolent juvenile offenders. Elijah and his parents signed a contract in which Elijah agreed to participate in individual counseling, to complete 50 hours of community service, to attend school on time, to write a letter of apology to Hernandez, and to obey all laws, and his parents agreed to complete a parent education program. The last paragraph of the contract provided as follows: “I admit that my actions were improper and I accept responsibility. I consent to participate in the agreement above, and I understand that if I fail to maintain this agreement a petition may…