Commonwealth v. Guthrie G.

Juvenile Law Center filed an amicus brief in this case, which involved a fourteen-year-old boy who was charged with unlawful possession of a gun. After receiving information about the youth’s illegal possession, the police confronted him and then searched his home without providing him his Miranda warnings. The Juvenile Court held that the search and seizure of property by police was unwarranted because the youth was uninformed of his Miranda rights. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts appealed this ruling. The Appeals Court reversed the decision, holding that, given the public safety concerns and exigent circumstances, the police were justified in their search.

Juvenile Law Center filed an amicus brief on behalf of the defendant, who appealed the reversal. Juvenile Law Center’s brief argued that juveniles are less mature than adults and generally lack the capacity to appreciate the consequences of their actions, and judges must take extra care when assessing whether a youth voluntarily consented to a search, or whether a youth made a voluntary, knowing and intelligent waiver of his right to remain silent.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court agreed with the Appeals Court that it was not unconstitutional for the police to question the youth without first Mirandizing him, that the youth freely and voluntarily consented to producing the weapon, and that the youth was not deprived of a meaningful opportunity to consult with his father when questioned at the police station.