Owen E. v. West

I must respectfully dissent.

The majority today strip juvenile courts of their statutory power to vacate Youth Authority commitments when, in the court’s judgment, such action would be in a ward’s best interests. In so holding, the majority override the legislative mandate of Welfare and Institutions Code sections 775, 778 and 779. Adherence to these statutes requires this court to affirm the juvenile court’s order.

The Legislature has vested in juvenile courts broad powers to amend dispositional orders. Welfare and Institutions Code section 775, ignored by the majority, provides that “[djny…