People v. Christopher R.

A petition was filed against Christopher R., seeking to have him declared a ward of the court (Welf. Inst. Code, § 602) by reason of his having possessed a controlled substance, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), for sale (Health & Saf. Code, § 11378). Following an order quashing a search warrant the petition was dismissed. The People appeal.

We have had occasion previously to note with regret the frequency with which juvenile proceedings today focus not on the question of whether a youth’s behavior has been such as to render judicial supervision appropriate, but, rather, whether the proofs regarding that behavior were harvested in a seemly manner. In re Reginald C. (1985) 171 Cal.App.3d 1072, 1075 [ 217 Cal.Rptr. 768 ].) In the present proceeding, the minor, in his effort to avoid a determination on the merits, moved to suppress all proofs of his *903 misconduct, including the 67 tabs of LSD which had been recovered in his home.

In the affidavit supporting the challenged warrant issued by a municipal court judge, Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Richard Lichten had averred in pertinent part: 1. A confidential informant who admitted being an LSD user and dealer had…