## Facts

- Ronald Collins, age 16, was arrested on July 15, 1994, with two older participants in connection with a residential burglary.
- Property taken from the residence included firearms and jewelry.
- At arrest, Collins possessed a pistol holder and gloves; the other participants possessed stolen diamonds and firearms.
- At the transfer hearing, Collins’s probation officer testified Collins had numerous prior juvenile referrals for multiple offenses.
- The probation officer also testified Collins had not complied with probation conditions and had not taken advantage of counseling and other juvenile services.

## Issues

1. Whether the juvenile court erred in transferring Collins’s residential-burglary case to circuit court for adult prosecution under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-318.
2. Whether the State presented clear and convincing evidence, considering the statutory transfer factors, to justify transfer.

## Decision

- The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed the transfer order.
- The court held the juvenile court’s findings were supported by clear and convincing evidence and were not clearly erroneous.
- The court relied on the seriousness of the offense (burglary involving stolen firearms), Collins’s prior delinquency history and noncompliance, and poor prospects for rehabilitation in the juvenile system.

## Legal Principles

- A juvenile-transfer decision under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-318 must be supported by clear and convincing evidence.
- The juvenile court must consider the statutory transfer factors, but it need not assign equal weight to each factor.
- The State need not prove every statutory factor; the evidence as a whole may clearly and convincingly support transfer.
- Appellate review is deferential; the transfer ruling will not be reversed unless clearly erroneous.

## Conclusion

The court upheld transferring a 16-year-old’s residential-burglary case to circuit court because the serious circumstances of the offense, combined with a record of repeated delinquency, probation noncompliance, and unsuccessful juvenile interventions, provided clear and convincing support for adult prosecution.


Collins v. State, 908 S.W.2d 80 (Ark. 1995)