M.H. v. State

OPINION

Judge MANNHEIMER.

Under Alaska Delinquency Rule 21(a), delinquency proceedings are tried to the court unless the juvenile requests a jury trial. Rule 21(a) also states that a request for jury trial must be made “no later than 20 days before any scheduled trial date” (unless there is good reason to allow the request to be made with less advance notice). The primary question presented in this appeal is how to interpret the phrase “scheduled trial date”.

In Alaska, most criminal and delinquency eases are not given a specific date for trial until just before they are actually tried.

Instead,…