In re Freddie L.

OPINION OF THE COURT

Stanley Gartenstein, J.

A motion before the court raises issues of first impression common to both the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Does a juvenile respondent (or adult defendant) have a constitutionally protected right to counsel at the posttrial presentence investigational stage of proceedings, specifically, at his interviews with an investigating probation officer. Interestingly, this application comes before the juvenile justice system first, thereby departing from an ad hoc tradition which usually sees constitutional issues first decided in the criminal…