SAAD, J.
On June 26, 2009, the trial court issued an order that directed the Michigan State Police to immediately destroy the fingerprints and arrest card of respondent.
On July 13, 2007, a petition was filed charging respondent, a juvenile, with one count of malicious use of a telecommunications device. MCL 750.540e. On August 15, 2007, the court held an adjudication hearing. The lower court docket sheet indicates that respondent "admitted allegation," and the court entered an "order of adjudication." A dispositional hearing was set for December 18, 2007, but the docket sheet indicates that on December 17, the petition was dismissed. Another entry for that date says "warned and dismissed," which apparently refers to MCL 712A.18(1)(a), which permits a court to "[w]arn the juvenile" and "dismiss the petition" in disposing of the case. The order of adjudication, which is on a standard SCAO form, indicates that respondent was "adjudicated by plea" of "AAL." The form does not explain what "AAL" means, though it does say that "A" indicates "admission." On the first page of the order there is a checked box for "A fingerprintable juvenile offense was committed under MCL 28.243 or MCL 28.727," and another checked box for "Fingerprints have been taken." On the second page of the form is a checked box for "Plea taken under Cobbs agreement."
On May 1, 2009, respondent moved for destruction of her fingerprints and arrest card. She filed the motion using SCAO Form MC 235, which incorporates both the motion and the order in a single form. The form contains two choices for the movant: "I was found not guilty of all offense(s) charged in this case ..." and "my case was dismissed without trial, and the arresting agency and/or Michigan State Police has not destroyed the fingerprints and arrest card as required by law." Respondent checked the box indicating that her case was dismissed without trial. At the hearing on the motion, respondent argued that under MCL 28.243(7), (8) and (9), which govern the destruction of fingerprints and arrest cards, destruction is warranted if the petition is dismissed.
We hold that the trial court erred when it ruled that respondent is entitled to destruction of her fingerprints and arrest card.
Thus, the statute provides that fingerprints and arrest cards shall be destroyed if (1) the case involves a juvenile who was adjudicated and found not to be within the provisions of MCL 712A.2(a)(1), or (2) the accused is found not guilty.
Although McElroy involves factual circumstances slightly different than those here, this Court rejected McElroy's argument, which was essentially the same as the one made by respondent. In McElroy, the plaintiff had entered a plea of no contest to domestic violence charges with an agreement that the charges would be dismissed pursuant to MCL 769.4a if he successfully completed probation and a domestic violence program. McElroy, 274 Mich.App. at 33-34, 731 N.W.2d 138. Section 769.4a(5) provided that the discharge and dismissal would be "without adjudication of guilt." Id. at 36, 731 N.W.2d 138. The plaintiff completed the requirements for discharge and dismissal, at which point the plea was set aside and the case dismissed. Id. at 34, 731 N.W.2d 138. The plaintiff then sought a writ of mandamus to compel the Michigan State Police Information Center ("MSPIC") to surrender his fingerprint card, arrest card, and description. Id. at 35, 731 N.W.2d 138. The MSPIC argued that the plaintiff was not found "not guilty," and that therefore MCL 769.4a(6) required it to keep a nonpublic record. Id. Retention of the nonpublic record is required because only one discharge and dismissal is allowed under MCL 769.4a(6) and the nonpublic record serves to establish that there has already been one discharge and dismissal. Id. Construing only the second statutory requirement in MCL 28.243(8), the McElroy Court held that the statute does not require destruction of the documents following a dismissal; it requires destruction only if the defendant is found not guilty. Id. at 37-39, 731 N.W.2d 138. As noted, MCL 769.4a(5) expressly stated that the discharge and dismissal were not an adjudication of guilt.
This Court concluded that "McElroy cannot establish that he has a clear legal right to have the documents destroyed" because he "has not shown that the discharge and dismissal was a finding of not guilty under MCL 28.243(8)." Id. at 36, 38, 731 N.W.2d 138. Pursuant to that ruling, it was erroneous for the trial court in the present case to rely on the use of the word "dismissal."
A similar result obtained in People v. Benjamin, 283 Mich.App. 526, 769 N.W.2d 748 (2009). In Benjamin, the three defendants pleaded guilty to possession of less than 25 grams of cocaine. Id. at 527, 769 N.W.2d 748. Because it was a first offense, the defendants were allowed to participate in a diversionary program under MCL 333.7411. Benjamin, 283 Mich.App. at 527, 769 N.W.2d 748. Subsection (1) of that statute provides that, after a plea or finding of guilt, the proceedings may be deferred "without entering a judgment of guilt" while the defendant is placed on probation. Id. at 530-531, 769 N.W.2d 748. If the probation is successful, the defendant is discharged and the proceedings are dismissed. Id.
Following discharge and dismissal in Benjamin, the defendants successfully moved for destruction of their fingerprint and arrest records. Id. at 527, 769 N.W.2d 748. This Court reversed. Id. It noted that MCL 333.7411(2) requires retention of a nonpublic record of the arrest and discharge or dismissal for the purpose of alerting authorities that an offender had already taken advantage of this deferral provision.
Here, there is no finding that respondent was "not guilty." To the contrary, respondent admitted her guilt. Respondent suggests that the subsequent dismissal nullified this admission. However, even were we to agree, the dismissal did not constitute a finding of "not guilty." Based on the statute, as interpreted by McElroy and Benjamin, respondent was not entitled to the relief she requested.
McElroy and Benjamin address only the second criterion for destruction of fingerprint and arrest cards set forth in MCL 28.243(8), i.e., the defendant is found not guilty. By the plain language of MCL 28.243(8), there are two classes of persons who are entitled to destruction of their fingerprints and arrest card: (1) a juvenile who "is adjudicated and found not to be within the provisions of [MCL 712A.2(a)(1)]" (i.e., those found not to be within the jurisdiction of the family division of circuit court); and (2) an accused who "is found not guilty of an offense for which he or she was fingerprinted." Here, an adjudication hearing was held at which respondent admitted the allegation against her. The court entered an "order of adjudication," which indicates that she was "adjudicated by plea." On the second page of the order is a checked box for "Plea taken under Cobbs agreement." Thus, respondent was neither a juvenile found not to be within the family court's jurisdiction nor an accused found not guilty. As was the case with McElroy, the mere fact that the proceedings against respondent were later dismissed does not entitle her to destruction of her fingerprints and arrest cards.
Reversed.