Kozak v. Commonwealth

Opinion of the Court by

Chief Justice MINTON.

This case requires us to determine whether a juvenile may waive the right to a more lenient sentencing disposition under the juvenile code by entering into a plea agreement with the Commonwealth, even if the juvenile is not directly and explicitly informed of the juvenile code rights being waived. Because a proper waiver must be predicated upon the knowing relinquishment of a known right,1 we hold that a juvenile cannot, under these circumstances, be found to have impliedly waived a right to which the juvenile was not explicitly made aware.

The…