In Re Mecklenburg County

Although I concur with the result reached by the majority opinion, I write separately to clarify my analysis in reaching this conclusion.

The majority is correct that an admission in a juvenile delinquency case is equivalent to a plea of guilty by an adult in a criminal prosecution. In re Johnson, 32 N.C.App. 492, 493, 232 S.E.2d 486, 487-88 (1977). However, "in a juvenile proceeding, as opposed to an adult criminal proceeding, `the burden upon the State to see that the child's rights [are] protected' is increased rather than decreased." In re T.E.F., 167 N.C.App. 1, 4, 604 S.E.2d 348, 350…