In re D.F.B.
Minnesota Supreme Court
433 N.W.2d 79 (1988)
- Written by Walter Machniki, JD
Facts
Sixteen-year-old D.F.B. (defendant) killed his parents and his two siblings with an axe. Prior to these killings, D.F.B. had attempted suicide multiple times. D.F.B. also had a severe depressive disorder that worsened due to a constant conflict with his parents and to his domestic situation. There was a question as to whether D.F.B. should be charged as a juvenile because of his age or as an adult because of the severity of his crime. The trial court judge determined that D.F.B. should be charged as a juvenile because the state had not proven by “clear and convincing evidence” that D.F.B. could not be treated for his depressive disorder by his nineteenth birthday or that he posed a threat to public safety. The court of appeals reversed this decision and ordered the case to the criminal courts where D.F.B. would be tried as an adult. At the appellate level, the state demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that D.F.B. should be tried as an adult through a multi-factorial analysis it performed. The state supreme court granted D.F.B.’s petition for review.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning ()
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