Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District Digest: March 2, 2023

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Domestic Relations

Juvenile Delinquency

Commitment to Delinquency Program

Defendant appealed the trial court’s order committing her to the custody of Buchanan County Academy to complete a juvenile delinquency program. Although defendant successfully completed the academy’s program and was released to her mother’s custody, she sought to challenge the dispositional ruling.

Where any appellate relief would have no practical effect as defendant had completed the delinquency program and had been released to her mother’s custody as she initially requested, the court ruled that defendant’s appeal was moot.

Appeal is dismissed.

In the Interest of: A.B.W. (MLW No. 79515/Case No. WD85049 – 9 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, Pfeiffer, J.) Appealed from circuit court, Buchanan County, Robb, J. (Jeffrey C. Esparza, Appellate Defender, Kansas City, for appellant) (Shariece Canady, St. Joseph, for respondent)

https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=192770

Juvenile Delinquency

Terroristic Threats

Defendant appealed from the juvenile delinquency sentence of probation for third-degree terroristic threats. Defendant argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove that she aided another juvenile in making a school shooting threat simply by helping him set up a social media account, contending that she did not know he intended to make the threat before she assisted him.

Where the evidence supported an inference that defendant helped her classmate deactivate one social media account in order to create a new one with the purpose of disseminating the school shooting threat, the court deferred to the trial court’s determination of defendant’s credibility in her testimony.

Judgment is affirmed.

In the Interest of: M.T.W. (MLW No. 79516/Case No. WD85020 – 7 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, Ardini Jr., J.) Appealed from circuit court, Buchanan County, Robb, J. (Jeffrey C. Esparza, Kansas City, for appellant) (Shariece L. Canady, St. Joseph, for respondent)

https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=192769