Shone v. State

After a hearing, Maine juvenile courts could commit male juvenile offenders to facilities with varying degrees of restrictiveness. One such facility was the Boys Training Center (BTC), which had the purpose of rehabilitating juvenile offenders and was somewhat restrictive. Another facility was the more restrictive Men’s Correctional Center (MCC), where juvenile courts could commit male juvenile offenders ages 16 and up. The MCC had the purpose of correction rather than rehabilitation. A juvenile who was committed to the BTC could be transferred to the MCC under certain conditions. If the juvenile was 15 years old or older, the BTC superintendent could certify the juvenile to be incorrigible, meaning that he repeatedly refused to follow the rules of the BTC and his presence was seriously detrimental to the BTC’s welfare. An incorrigible juvenile could then be transferred to the MCC without a hearing, despite the facilities’ difference in purpose and level of restrictiveness. Michael Edward Shone (defendant), a 15-year-old, was adjudicated to be a juvenile offender and committed to the BTC. The BTC superintendent certified that Shone was incorrigible and transferred him to the MCC. Denied relief through state remedies, Shone filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in federal district court, arguing that his transfer to the MCC violated his equal-protection rights because he was not given a hearing. The district court dismissed the petition. Shone appealed.