NAJAM, Judge.
D.A. entered into a plea agreement whereby he admitted to battery, as a Class B misdemeanor when committed by an adult, and he "conditionally" agreed to admit to child molesting, as a Class C felony when committed by an adult. Following a hearing, the juvenile court adjudicated D.A. a delinquent on the battery count, ordered him to serve probation on that count, and took the child molesting count under advisement pending D.A.'s successful completion of probation. D.A. presents two restated issues for our review:
We affirm.
On December 20, 2010, the State filed a petition against D.A. alleging his delinquency for having committed child molesting, as a Class B felony when committed by an adult, and child molesting, as a Class C felony when committed by an adult.
During the March 31 hearing, the following colloquy occurred in an effort to establish the facts underlying the two counts to be admitted by D.A.:
Transcript at 4. Thereupon, the juvenile court found "a sufficient factual basis to find the petition true." Id. The court ordered a "sex offender evaluation" and scheduled a dispositional hearing. Id.
On June 14, the juvenile court held the dispositional hearing. The probation department submitted a pre-dispositional report recommending formal probation with inpatient placement at Resolute Treatment Facility ("Resolute") for sex offender counseling. Counsel for D.A. submitted into evidence an independent report prepared by a psychologist recommending outpatient treatment for D.A. At the conclusion of the hearing, the juvenile court accepted the recommendation of the probation department and ordered that D.A. be placed at Resolute as an inpatient.
On July 14, D.A. filed a motion to correct error alleging in relevant part:
Appellant's App. at 23. The juvenile court denied that motion. This appeal ensued.
D.A. first contends that the juvenile court's acceptance of his conditional plea on the child molesting count was an abuse of discretion and violated his due process rights because there was an inadequate factual basis to support the plea.
D.A. maintains that there was an insufficient factual basis to support his conditional plea on the child molesting count. A court may not accept a guilty plea unless the court determines that a sufficient factual basis exists to support the plea. Rhoades v. State, 675 N.E.2d 698, 700 (Ind.1996) (citing Ind.Code § 35-35-1-3).
Here, in an effort to establish a factual basis for the conditional plea on the child molesting count, defense counsel asked D.A. whether he touched C.T. on her vagina. D.A. responded in the affirmative, and defense counsel rested. The State did not ask D.A. any questions, but sought clarification whether the court was "satisfied . . . [that] a factual basis has been given for count 3 and count 2[.]" Transcript at 5. In response, the juvenile court stated, "I think there has been a sufficient factual basis for count 2 [child molesting] or count 3 [battery] since the nature of his plea [sic] and withholding judgment as to count 2, I think it's probably sufficient. Does everyone [agree] with that?" Id. Defense counsel responded, "Yes sir."
On appeal, D.A. contends that the factual basis is insufficient to show his intent to arouse or to satisfy his sexual desires, which is an element of the crime of child molesting. See Ind.Code § 35-42-4-3; Addendum to Appellant's App. at 97. Indeed, the transcript reveals that the juvenile court did not hear any evidence on the element of D.A.'s intent with regard to his touching C.T.'s vagina, other than the
However, we do not have jurisdiction to resolve this issue. Because D.A.'s plea on the child molesting count was conditional, the juvenile court took the plea under advisement pending his successful completion of probation. A conditional plea is equivalent to a withheld judgment, and, thus, there is no final judgment or appealable final order from which to appeal. See Ind. Appellate Rule 5. Likewise, and for the same reason, D.A. had no grounds to file a motion to correct error on the child molesting count,
D.A. next contends that the juvenile court erred in several respects with regard to the dispositional hearing and his placement at Resolute. D.A. maintains that the juvenile court was required to hold an evidentiary hearing to determine disposition and that no such hearing was held. In particular, he alleges that "no evidence was presented by the State or Probation at the disposition hearing" and that he was not afforded an opportunity to present evidence to rebut or cross-examine the probation officer who prepared the predisposition report. Brief of Appellant at 13. Further, D.A. asserts that the juvenile court "did not balance the safety of the community and D.A.'s best interest" in ordering placement at Resolute. Id. at 11. And D.A. contends that placement at Resolute was error because it was not the least harsh disposition. We cannot agree.
R.A. v. State, 936 N.E.2d 1289, 1291 (Ind. Ct.App.2010) (citations and quotations omitted).
The standard for determining what due process requires in a particular juvenile proceeding is "fundamental fairness." S.L.B. v. State, 434 N.E.2d 155, 156 (Ind.Ct.App.1982). Here, at the dispositional hearing, the juvenile court incorporated
Neither did the juvenile court abuse its discretion. Although the juvenile court is given wide latitude and great flexibility in determining the disposition of a delinquent child, its discretion is circumscribed by statute. R.A., 936 N.E.2d at 1291. Indiana Code Section 31-37-18-6 provides in relevant part that, "[i]f consistent with the safety of the community and the best interest of the child, the juvenile court shall enter a dispositional decree that . . . is . . . in the least restrictive (most family[-]like) and most appropriate setting available" and "provides a reasonable opportunity for participation by the child's parent[.]" Id.
Again, D.A. alleges that the juvenile court did not properly balance the safety of the community with his best interests. And D.A. maintains that placement at Resolute was not the least restrictive placement available, as evidenced by the report of the independent evaluator. But in its dispositional order, the juvenile court stated that it had considered both "[t]he interests of the child and the public" and "[a]lternatives of care, treatment, or rehabilitation for the juvenile." Appellant's App. at 11. In addition, the juvenile court explained that placement at Resolute "is consistent with the safety and best interest of the child and is the least restrictive and most appropriate setting available close to the parent(s)' home[.]" Id. Finally, the juvenile court explained that placement at Resolute is in D.A.'s best interests. The predisposition report supports the juvenile court's findings in each of these respects, and D.A. has not demonstrated an abuse of discretion.
Finally, to the extent that D.A. contends that his placement at Resolute constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. and Indiana Constitutions, that contention is without merit. A punishment is excessive and unconstitutional if it (1) makes no measurable contribution to acceptable goals of punishment but rather constitutes only purposeless and needless imposition of pain and suffering, or (2) is grossly disproportionate to the severity of the crime. Douglas v. State, 481 N.E.2d 107, 112 (Ind.1985). While D.A. obviously disagrees with the contents of the predisposition report recommending placement at Resolute, that report supports the juvenile court's determination that D.A. should be placed there. D.A. asserts that his placement "imposes `purposeless and needless. . . pain and suffering'" on him in that he is separated from his family and placed in a "hostile environment with juveniles who are presumably sex offenders." Brief of Appellant at 18. But our review of the record reveals that D.A.'s placement at Resolute is consistent with the goals for D.A.'s rehabilitation. On these facts, we cannot say that the juvenile court abused
Affirmed.
ROBB, C.J., and VAIDIK, J., concur.