In re Joey G., 206 Cal.App.4th 343
May 23, 2012OUTCOME: Reversed and remanded; case dismissed
J.G. was raised by his grandmother until age 13, when he became too much for her to handle. The grandmother sought the assistance of the Imperial County juvenile court, and J.G. was declared a depende ... nt of the court and placed in a foster home. Unfortunately J.G. did not do very well in his foster home, and eventually found himself in a home in San Bernardino county. While there he stole two cell phones from his foster parents. The family reported the theft, and J.G., then 17 years old, was taken to juvenile hall. J.G. admitted to having taken the phones, and the San Bernardino juvenile court placed J.G. on informal probation pursuant to Welfare & Institutions Code section 654. J.G. violated the terms and conditions of his informal probation, and the juvenile court declared him a ward of the court. The juvenile court then ordered him transferred back to his home county. The juvenile court in Imperial County accepted the transfer of the case, noted that J.G. had been declared a ward of the county in San Bernardino County, and set the matter for a dispositional hearing. Over J.G.’s objections the juvenile court refused to order a Welfare & Institutions Code section 241.1 Joint Assessment Report, a mandatory report to be prepared by both the probation officer and the social worker which indicates how best to treat the minor – as a dependent of the court or as a ward of the court. Acting alone, the juvenile probation department prepared a report indicating that J.G. had some disciplinary problems and that he had not taken advantage of the services offered to him. Without even reviewing this report the juvenile court declared J.G. a ward of the court and ordered him held in custody in a group home for youthful offenders until age 19. The Court of Appeal addressed the question of whether the juvenile court should have ordered the WIC 241.1 Joint Assessment Report. The Court of Appeal concluded that the juvenile court erred in not ordering the WIC 241.1 Joint Assessment Report, and remanded the case to the juvenile court with an order to prepare and consider the WIC 241.1 Joint Assessment Report.