Robert S. v. Superior Court

Summary and Issues

By petition for extraordinary writ, Robert S. challenges an order entered in his pending juvenile court delinquency proceeding 1 which requires him to provide certain discovery to the prosecutor. As will be seen, we uphold the discovery order and deny the peremptory writ.

In the pending delinquency proceeding, the minor is alleged to have committed murder (Pen. Code, § 187, subd. (a)), and assault with a deadly weapon (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)(1)). Enhancements are pleaded as well pursuant to Penal Code sections 12022, subdivision (d) (personal use of a knife), 12022.7 (great bodily injury), 1192.7, subdivision (c)(8) (serious felony) and 186.22, subdivision (b)(1) (criminal street gang related). The crimes occurred January 1, 1991, when the minor was 14 years old.

Following the prosecutor’s discovery motion and briefing and argument by the parties, respondent juvenile court ordered the People and the minor to provide one another with the names and addresses of witnesses to be called at trial, relevant written or recorded statements of those witnesses, reports of experts to be called at trial, results of physical and mental examinations to be used…