State v. Furlong ( 2020 )


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  •                                  IN THE
    ARIZONA COURT OF APPEALS
    DIVISION ONE
    STATE OF ARIZONA, Appellee,
    v.
    DAVID FURLONG, Appellant.
    No. 1 CA-CR 18-0809
    FILED 8-20-2020
    Appeal from the Superior Court in Maricopa County
    No. CR1988-005928
    The Honorable Douglas Gerlach, Judge
    VACATED; REMANDED
    COUNSEL
    Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Phoenix
    By Robert E. Prather
    Counsel for Appellee
    David Furlong, El Mirage
    Appellant
    Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office, Phoenix
    By Rena P. Glitsos
    Advisory Counsel for Appellant
    Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Phoenix
    By Linley Wilson, Joshua C. Smith
    Counsel for Amicus Curiae Arizona Attorney General
    The Nava Law Firm, PLLC, Phoenix
    By Armando Nava
    Co-Counsel for Amicus Curiae Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
    LisaLaw, LLC, Mesa
    By Lise R. Witt
    Co-Counsel for Amicus Curiae Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
    OPINION
    Judge Maria Elena Cruz delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Judge
    David B. Gass joined. Presiding Judge Lawrence F. Winthrop dissented.
    C R U Z, Judge:
    ¶1            David Furlong appeals the superior court’s order denying his
    motion to set aside or expunge his convictions pursuant to Arizona Revised
    Statutes (“A.R.S.”) section 13-921(B)(1). The superior court ruled that
    former A.R.S. § 13-907(E) (2018) (current A.R.S. § 13-905(K) (2019))1
    precluded it from considering Furlong’s motion. This appeal requires us to
    address the following question:
    If a juvenile who has no historical prior felony convictions
    pleads guilty to two felonies in which the victim is a minor
    under fifteen years of age, is placed on lifetime adult
    probation (including sex offender registration and a term of
    jail, but no imprisonment), is discharged from probation (and
    the sex offender registration requirement) after apparently
    successfully completing probation, and then seeks to set aside
    1       The superior court cited § 13-907(E), but after the court issued its
    order, the legislature amended and renumbered § 13-907. The cited
    subsection is now found in a slightly amended form in § 13-905(K). See 2018
    Ariz. Sess. Laws, ch. 83, § 1 (2nd Reg. Sess.) (amendment); 2019 Ariz. Sess.
    Laws, ch. 244, § 1 (1st Reg. Sess.) (amendment); 2019 Ariz. Sess. Laws, ch.
    149, § 4 (1st Reg. Sess.) (renumbering). In this opinion, we reference all
    statutes by their current number. Section 13-905 was originally enacted in
    1976 as A.R.S. § 13-1744 and has been amended numerous times throughout
    its history, including quite recently.
    2
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Opinion of the Court
    the judgment of guilt and expunge his record, which statute—
    A.R.S. § 13-905 or A.R.S. § 13-921—controls?
    We conclude § 13-905 and § 13-921 operate independently of one another,
    so that Furlong is eligible to have his judgment of guilt set aside or
    expunged under § 13-921(B)(1). Accordingly, we vacate the superior
    court’s order and remand for further proceedings consistent with this
    opinion.
    FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
    ¶2            In 1988, at the age of seventeen, Furlong pleaded guilty to one
    count of attempted sexual conduct with a minor and one count of attempted
    child molestation, each a Class 3 felony and dangerous crime against
    children in the second degree. See A.R.S. §§ 13-1001, -1405, -1410; see
    generally A.R.S. § 13-501 (allowing prosecution of juveniles as adults in
    some cases). The crimes stemmed from multiple instances of sexual activity
    with his niece that occurred when Furlong was fourteen to sixteen years old
    and she was three to five years old.2
    ¶3              In accordance with the plea agreement, the superior court
    placed Furlong on lifetime probation after a term of jail and required him
    to register as a sex offender. See A.R.S. § 13-3821. In 2013, the court restored
    the civil rights Furlong had lost because of his convictions. In 2014, the
    court discharged Furlong from lifetime probation, and in 2015, it
    terminated his sex offender registration requirement.
    ¶4            In 2018, citing § 13-921(B)(1), Furlong moved to “set aside
    [his] judgment of guilt . . . , dismiss the information and/or indictment
    where applicable, expunge [his] record of conviction[s,] and release [him]
    from any and all penalties and disabilities resulting from [his]
    conviction[s].” In a summary order, the superior court denied the motion,
    explaining as follows: “Pursuant to [A.R.S. § 13-905(K)] this crime may
    never be set aside due to the age of the victim.”
    ¶5          Furlong timely appealed. After the parties filed their briefs,
    we ordered supplemental briefing regarding the question posed in the first
    2      Based on the dates alleged in the indictment, Furlong was sixteen
    years old and the victim was five years old at the time of the crimes
    specifically charged in the indictment.
    3
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Opinion of the Court
    paragraph of this opinion and invited other interested parties to file amicus
    briefs.3
    ¶6            We have jurisdiction under Article 6, Section 9, of the Arizona
    Constitution, and A.R.S. §§ 12-120.21(A)(1) and 13-4033(A)(3). See State v.
    Hall, 
    234 Ariz. 374
    , 375, ¶ 2 (App. 2014); State v. Sanchez, 
    209 Ariz. 66
    , 68,
    ¶ 4 n.2 (App. 2004).
    DISCUSSION
    ¶7            The question posed requires us to determine whether § 13-921
    operates independently of § 13-905, or whether a juvenile convicted as an
    adult must satisfy the requirements in § 13-905 to apply for relief under
    § 13-921(B)(1).
    ¶8             In general, we review de novo issues of statutory
    interpretation. 
    Hall, 234 Ariz. at 375
    , ¶ 3. In construing statutes, we look to
    their plain language as the most reliable indication of their meaning and the
    legislature’s intent, which we seek to effectuate. See State v. Jones, 
    235 Ariz. 501
    , 502, ¶ 6 (2014); 
    Hall, 234 Ariz. at 376
    , ¶ 8; State v. George, 
    206 Ariz. 436
    ,
    440, ¶ 6 (App. 2003). If the language is clear and unambiguous, we apply it
    without turning to other methods of statutory interpretation. Hayes v.
    Cont’l Ins. Co., 
    178 Ariz. 264
    , 268 (1994). If more than one rational
    interpretation exists, however, or two statutes appear to conflict, we
    attempt to harmonize their language to give effect to both and may employ
    other tools of statutory construction to discern the proper interpretation.
    See id.; True v. Stewart, 
    199 Ariz. 396
    , 399, ¶ 12 (2001). Only then may we
    consider other factors, including a statute’s “context, history, subject
    matter, effects and consequences, spirit, and purpose.” 
    George, 206 Ariz. at 440
    , ¶ 6 (quoting State v. Fell, 
    203 Ariz. 186
    , 188, ¶ 6 (App. 2002)); accord
    Calmat of Ariz. v. State ex rel. Miller, 
    176 Ariz. 190
    , 193 (1993). This court
    strives to “give meaning to ‘each word, phrase, clause, and sentence . . . so
    that no part of the statute will be void, inert, redundant, or trivial.’” See
    Ariz. State Univ. Bd. of Regents v. Ariz. State Ret. Sys., 
    242 Ariz. 387
    , 389, ¶ 7
    (App. 2017) (quoting In re Est. of Zaritsky, 
    18 Ariz. 599
    , 603, ¶ 11 (App. 2000)).
    ¶9           Section 13-905 is entitled “Setting aside judgment of convicted
    person on discharge; application; release from disabilities; firearm
    possession; exceptions.” It generally addresses the process by which any
    3     Accordingly, we grant the motion of the Arizona Attorneys for
    Criminal Justice (“AACJ”) to file an amicus brief in this matter.
    4
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Opinion of the Court
    adult convicted of a felony may seek to have a judgment of guilt set aside.
    In relevant part, it provides as follows:
    A. Except as provided in subsection K of this section, every person
    convicted of a criminal offense, on fulfillment of the
    conditions of probation or sentence and discharge by the
    court, may apply to the court to have the judgment of guilt set
    aside. . . .
    ....
    K. This section does not apply to a person who was convicted of any
    of the following:
    ....
    2. An offense for which the person is required or ordered by the court
    to register pursuant to § 13-3821 [as a sex offender].
    ….
    4. A felony offense in which the victim is a minor under fifteen years
    of age.
    A.R.S. § 13-905(A), (K) (emphasis added).
    ¶10           Thus, although § 13-905(A) generally permits persons
    convicted of criminal offenses to apply to the court to set aside a conviction,
    subsection (K) renders some persons ineligible to apply based on the nature
    of their offenses. See State v. Bernini, 
    233 Ariz. 170
    , 174, ¶ 11 (App. 2013).
    As relevant here, subsection (K) makes plain a person cannot apply to have
    a conviction set aside if it is one for which the sentencing court ordered sex
    offender registration or if (as the superior court found in Furlong’s case) the
    victim was under fifteen years old. See A.R.S. § 13–905(K)(2), (4).
    ¶11           Furlong’s motion cited subsection (B)(1) of § 13-921, which is
    entitled “Probation for defendants under eighteen years of age; dual adult
    juvenile probation.” In relevant part, it provides as follows:
    A. The court may enter a judgment of guilt and place the
    defendant on probation pursuant to this section if all of the
    following apply:
    1. The defendant is under eighteen years of age at the time the
    offense is committed.
    5
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Opinion of the Court
    2. The defendant is convicted of a felony offense.
    3. The defendant is not sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
    4. The defendant does not have a historical prior felony
    conviction.
    B. If the court places a defendant on probation pursuant to
    this section, all of the following apply:
    1. Except [in situations not relevant here], if the defendant
    successfully completes the terms and conditions of probation, the
    court may set aside the judgment of guilt, dismiss the information
    or indictment, expunge the defendant’s record and order the person
    to be released from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the
    conviction.
    ....
    A.R.S. § 13-921(A)-(B) (emphasis added).
    ¶12           Thus, § 13-921(A) authorizes the sentencing court to place a
    defendant under eighteen years of age, who is prosecuted as an adult, on
    adult probation under the conditions listed in subsections (A)(1)-(4).
    Furlong was such a juvenile defendant. He was under eighteen years of
    age with no historical prior felony convictions, entered a guilty plea to two
    felony offenses, and was sentenced to lifetime adult probation—including
    sex offender registration and a term of jail—but no imprisonment.
    Accordingly, Furlong met each of the requirements of subsection (A).
    Because Furlong has been discharged from lifetime probation and the sex
    offender registration requirement, Furlong argues the sentencing court may
    have his judgment of guilt set aside and his record expunged pursuant to §
    13-921(B)(1). As we explain below, we agree.
    ¶13           A plain-language analysis of § 13-905 and § 13-921 shows the
    statutes do not irreconcilably conflict. Instead, the two statutes operate in
    parallel, independently of each other. Section 13-905 applies to adult
    offenders, and § 13-921 applies to juvenile offenders placed on dual adult-
    juvenile probation.
    ¶14           In its supplemental brief, Appellees concede that for juvenile
    offenders in the adult criminal justice system, “it appears the legislature
    intended for certain juvenile offenders to be granted special privileges upon
    6
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Opinion of the Court
    successful completion of the sentence and a showing of rehabilitation.”
    Appellees recognize as follows,
    [Section 13-921(B)] reads ‘If’ the offender proves successful on
    probation, the court ‘may’ set aside the judgment of guilt and
    expunge the record. Section 13-921, then, provides a court
    discretionary options in dealing with young offenders who
    proved [amenable] to correctional intervention. By allowing
    such, the statute incentivizes the offender to abide by the
    terms of probation in order to enter adulthood without a
    criminal conviction.
    ¶15             In its amicus brief the Attorney General, however, argues
    § 13-921(B)(1) “only operates if the juvenile defendant is eligible—in the
    first instance—to apply for a set aside of his/her conviction under A.R.S. §
    13-905.” It contends that because Furlong was not eligible under § 13-905,
    the superior court lacked the power to grant him relief under § 13-921. But
    the two statutes do not reference each other, and neither provision implies
    that § 13-905(K) limits application of § 13-921(B)(1). Further, as Furlong
    correctly points out, § 13-905(K)(2) bars the application by a person
    convicted of “[a]n offense for which the person is required or ordered by
    the court to register [as a sex offender] pursuant to § 13-3821.” But § 13-
    921(B)(1) expressly acknowledges that a juvenile offender who is ordered
    to register as a sex offender may have the conviction set aside and the record
    expunged. See A.R.S. § 13-921(B)(1), (4) (requiring that, if applicable, a
    defendant whose conviction is set aside or expunged “shall” nonetheless
    comply with § 13-3821); see also City of Tucson v. Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc.,
    
    209 Ariz. 544
    , 552, ¶ 31 (2005). The State’s interpretation of the statute,
    therefore, would render § 13-921(B)(4) superfluous. “Whenever possible,
    we do not interpret statutes in such a manner as to render a clause
    superfluous.” See Clear 
    Channel, 209 Ariz. at 552
    , ¶ 31.
    ¶16            Additionally, “[w]e presume that the legislature states its
    meaning as clearly as possible and that, if it wants to limit the application
    of a statute, it does so expressly.” 
    Sanchez, 209 Ariz. at 69
    , ¶ 11. We can
    reasonably conclude that if the legislature intended a juvenile offender who
    is convicted and placed on adult probation may not apply for relief under
    § 13-921(B)(1) without first satisfying § 13-905, it would have said so
    explicitly. Section 13-921 references nine other statutes, but it does not
    reference § 13-905.
    ¶17         The dissent argues that by interpreting the statutes to operate
    independently, instead of interpreting § 13-905 to be a prerequisite to § 13-
    7
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Opinion of the Court
    921(B), we create an “absurd result.” The dissent focuses on A.R.S. § 8-348,
    under which a person adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile may apply to
    have the adjudication set aside, but it bars such relief to a person
    adjudicated delinquent for a sexual offense. See A.R.S. § 8-348(I)(3). Thus,
    the dissent concludes, it would be absurd that someone like Furlong—who
    was transferred to adult court and convicted of sexual offenses—could
    obtain relief, but a person adjudicated delinquent of the same offense in
    juvenile court could not.
    ¶18           To the contrary, our reading is the result of several logical
    distinctions. See State v. Estrada, 
    201 Ariz. 247
    , 251, ¶ 17 (2001). “A result is
    absurd [only] if it is so irrational, unnatural, or inconvenient that it cannot
    be supposed to have been within the intention of persons with ordinary
    intelligence and discretion.” See
    id. (internal quotation marks
    and citations
    omitted). The dissent’s argument discounts the difference between the
    long-term consequences of a juvenile adjudication and an adult conviction.
    An order of the juvenile court “shall not be deemed a conviction of crime,
    impose any civil disabilities ordinarily resulting from a conviction or
    operate to disqualify the juvenile in any civil service application or
    appointment.” A.R.S. § 8-207(A). Additionally, “[t]he disposition of a
    juvenile in the juvenile court may not be used against the juvenile in any
    case or proceeding other than a criminal or juvenile case in any court,
    whether before or after reaching majority” except under certain limited
    circumstances. A.R.S. § 8-207(B). Further, although a person’s juvenile
    records are not sealed, A.R.S. § 8-208—the state registry for criminal
    offenses—does not include “information relating to juveniles unless they
    have been adjudicated as adults.” A.R.S. § 41-1750(Y)(6).
    ¶19           Finally, though a juvenile adjudicated delinquent for a sexual
    offense may be ineligible to apply to have his or her conviction set aside,
    the juvenile may obtain even greater relief: destruction of his or her records.
    See A.R.S. §8-349.
    CONCLUSION
    ¶20          Furlong is eligible to have his judgment of guilt set aside or
    expunged under § 13-921(B)(1). The superior court’s order denying
    Furlong’s motion to set aside or expunge his convictions is vacated. We
    remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
    8
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Winthrop, J. dissenting
    W I N T H R O P, J., dissenting:
    ¶21           I respectfully dissent. The majority’s conclusion that A.R.S.
    §§ 13-905 and 13-921 operate entirely independently from each other, and
    that § 13-921(B)(1) alone governs the procedure for Furlong’s application to
    set aside his conviction, creates an untenable result in light of similar
    statutory provisions that apply to juveniles. Accordingly, I conclude § 13-
    905 serves as a prerequisite to a motion made pursuant to § 13-921(B)(1) and
    would affirm the superior court’s order.
    ¶22            Courts should seek to achieve consistency among related
    statutes within the context of the overall statutory scheme. 
    Fell, 203 Ariz. at 188
    , ¶ 6 (citing Bills v. Ariz. Prop. & Cas. Ins. Guar. Fund, 
    194 Ariz. 488
    , 494,
    ¶ 18 (App. 1999)); see also Stambaugh v. Killian, 
    242 Ariz. 508
    , 509, ¶ 7 (2017)
    (“In construing a specific provision, we look to the statute as a whole and
    we may also consider statutes that are in pari materia—of the same subject
    or general purpose—for guidance and to give effect to all of the provisions
    involved.” (citing David C. v. Alexis S., 
    240 Ariz. 53
    , 55, ¶ 9 (2016))).
    Moreover, when possible, “[s]tatutes should be construed sensibly to avoid
    reaching an absurd conclusion.” State ex rel. Montgomery v. Harris, 
    237 Ariz. 98
    , 101, ¶ 13 (2014) (citing Mendelsohn v. Superior Court, 
    76 Ariz. 163
    , 169
    (1953)).
    ¶23           As the majority recognizes, A.R.S. § 13-905 addresses the
    process by which every convicted felon may apply to have his or her
    judgment of guilt set aside. The analog to § 13-905 in the juvenile
    delinquency context is A.R.S. § 8-348, which establishes a parallel set-aside
    procedure for persons who were “adjudicated delinquent or incorrigible.”
    A.R.S. § 8-348(A).4 In relevant part, § 8-348 provides as follows:
    A. Except as provided in subsection I of this section, a person who
    is at least eighteen years of age, who has been adjudicated delinquent
    or incorrigible and who has fulfilled the conditions of probation and
    discharge ordered by the court or who is discharged from the
    department of juvenile corrections pursuant to § 41-2820 on
    4      Section 8-348 was enacted in 1998—one year after the Arizona
    Legislature enacted A.R.S. § 13-921. See 1998 Ariz. Sess. Laws, ch. 216, § 14
    (2nd Reg. Sess.). Thus, the legislature presumably was aware of § 13-921
    when it passed § 8-348.
    9
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Winthrop, J. dissenting
    successful completion of the individual treatment plan may
    apply to the juvenile court to set aside the adjudication. . . .
    ....
    I. This section does not apply to a person who was adjudicated
    delinquent for any of the following:
    ....
    3. An offense in violation of title 13, chapter 14.[5]
    A.R.S. § 8-348(A), (I) (emphasis added) (footnotes omitted).
    ¶24             Like § 13-905(K), A.R.S. § 8-348(I) renders certain persons
    ineligible to apply to set aside their adjudication. Specifically, subsection
    (I)(3) precludes persons adjudicated delinquent for “[a]n offense in
    violation of title 13, chapter 14,” i.e., sexual offenses in the criminal code,
    which are found in A.R.S. § 13-1401 et seq. Considering Furlong’s motion
    to set aside his adult conviction under A.R.S. § 13-921(B)(1) without first
    considering whether the motion is precluded under § 13-905(K) creates an
    absurd result, given that under Title 8, juveniles adjudicated delinquent for
    sexual offenses are ineligible to set aside their adjudications. See A.R.S. § 8-
    348(A), (I)(3).
    ¶25            It is illogical to conclude a criminal defendant like Furlong—
    who after being removed to adult court was convicted of felony sex offenses
    and was required to register as a sex offender—is eligible to apply to set
    aside his convictions, despite the exclusions established in A.R.S. § 13-
    905(K), but a person adjudicated delinquent of a sexual offense in juvenile
    court is not eligible to apply because of the exclusions contained in A.R.S.
    § 8-348(I). This would be an irrational result our legislature could not have
    intended when it enacted § 13-921(B), because it would produce a harsher
    result for juveniles who have merely been adjudicated delinquent and seek
    rehabilitation. See 
    Estrada, 201 Ariz. at 251
    , ¶ 17 (“A result is absurd if it is
    so irrational, unnatural, or inconvenient that it cannot be supposed to have
    been within the intention of persons with ordinary intelligence and
    discretion.” (internal quotation marks omitted) (citations omitted)). Such
    an outcome frustrates the primary function of juvenile courts, which is
    treatment and rehabilitation. David G. v. Pollard ex rel. Pima Cnty., 
    207 Ariz. 308
    , 312, ¶ 21 (2004). By contrast, “rehabilitation is not an express
    5     Title 13, chapter 14, encompasses the crimes of sexual conduct with
    a minor and child molestation. See A.R.S. §§ 13-1405, -1410.
    10
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Winthrop, J. dissenting
    sentencing policy of our criminal code.” Id.; see also A.R.S. § 13-101
    (declaring the “public policy of this state and the general purposes of” Title
    13).
    ¶26             Moreover, in the Final Revised Fact Sheet for Senate Bill 1258
    (the bill that added A.R.S. § 8-348) our legislature stated the legislation was
    part of an effort relating to “the 1996 juvenile justice initiative” and that this
    particular statute “[a]llows a person to have his or her juvenile criminal
    adjudication set aside under the same conditions currently placed on adult
    offenders.” See Final Revised Fact Sheet for S.B. 1258, available at
    https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/43leg/2r/summary/s.1258fr.jud.htm (last visited
    April 22, 2020). This statement reflects a legislative intent to treat juvenile
    offenders similarly for purposes of set-aside procedures in Title 8 and Title
    13, and it reinforces harmonizing the related statutes.
    ¶27            Citing City of Tucson v. Clear Channel Outdoor, 
    Inc., 209 Ariz. at 552
    , ¶ 31, the majority argues that if an application to set aside a conviction
    filed under § 13-921(B)(1) is barred by § 13-905(K)(2), then subsection (B)(4)
    of § 13-921 would be rendered superfluous, a result we should strive to
    avoid. I agree with that sentiment. However, such a result is no less
    untenable than interpreting statutes in a manner that achieves an absurd
    result. See Ariz. Health Care Cost Containment Sys. v. Bentley, 
    187 Ariz. 229
    ,
    233 (App. 1996) (“Statutes must be given a sensible construction that
    accomplishes the legislative intent and which avoids absurd results.”
    (citing Collins v. State, 
    166 Ariz. 409
    , 415 (App. 1990))).
    ¶28           The majority also reasons that, if the legislature had intended
    to require § 13-905 to serve as a prerequisite to consideration of a motion
    made pursuant to § 13-921(B)(1), it would have done so explicitly.
    However, there simply was no reason for the legislature to do so. The
    majority’s logic works against it because, had the legislature intended to
    exempt certain individuals with adult felony convictions from the
    restrictions of § 13-905, it could—and presumably would—have done so
    explicitly. The predecessor statute to § 13-905 was enacted long before § 13-
    921, and the legislature presumably was aware of that statute and could
    have excepted applications made pursuant to § 13-921 from its
    requirements with clear, unequivocal language. It did not, however, do so.
    In the absence of statutory language expressly compelling another result,
    we should not assume from legislative silence that our legislature intended
    such an absurd result. See generally State v. Affordable Bail Bonds, 
    198 Ariz. 34
    , 37-38, ¶¶ 13-14 (App. 2000).
    11
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Winthrop, J. dissenting
    ¶29            The majority further argues that interpreting the statutes in a
    manner that treats juveniles who have been adjudicated delinquent more
    harshly than those who have been convicted of a felony in adult court “is
    the result of several logical distinctions,” including that the effect of an
    adjudication on a juvenile may be less than the effect of a conviction on an
    adult. See generally A.R.S. § 8-207. While true, the effect of an adjudication
    on a juvenile may still be more than the effect of a set-aside conviction on an
    adult. Compare A.R.S. § 8-207(B) (providing exceptions to the non-use of a
    juvenile adjudication), with A.R.S. § 13-905(D) (providing exceptions to the
    setting aside of a conviction). Additionally, as the majority recognizes, a
    person’s juvenile records are not necessarily protected from view by the
    public. See A.R.S. § 8-208. And although the majority is correct that A.R.S.
    § 8-349(A) provides an opportunity for a juvenile adjudicated delinquent to
    seek destruction of his or her records, that opportunity is limited to those
    who have “an adjudication for an offense other than an offense listed in
    section 13-501, subsection A or B or title 28, chapter 4.” The offenses
    committed by Furlong fall within those excepted by A.R.S. § 13-501(B)(3).
    Further, even if the juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent might be
    eligible for destruction of his or her records under subsection (D) or (E) of
    § 8-349, he or she would have to wait until at least the age of twenty-five
    and meet numerous other conditions before being eligible for such relief.
    See A.R.S. § 8-349(D)-(E).
    ¶30             Finally, subsection (C) of § 13-905 sets forth seven factors that
    a court “shall” consider in making a decision on a set-aside application.
    Section 13-921 contains no independent list of factors for a court to consider,
    even though the factors in § 13-905(C) are no less relevant for determining
    whether to set aside a juvenile defendant’s conviction than they are for an
    adult defendant. Had the legislature meant for § 13-921 to operate entirely
    independently of § 13-905, it presumably would have included a separate
    list of factors for a court to consider in ruling on an application made under
    § 13-921(B)(1), rather than allowing the court to exercise its discretion
    without statutory guidance.6 Accordingly, I conclude A.R.S. § 13-905(K)(4)
    6       I also note § 13-921(B)(1) states the court “may” set aside a judgment
    if a juvenile defendant “successfully completes the terms and conditions of
    probation.” Although Furlong presumes his record while on probation and
    subsequent discharge from probation indicates he successfully completed
    the terms and conditions of probation as required by subsection (B)(1), his
    record while on probation was less than perfect, and the superior court did
    not decide that question before issuing its order. Accordingly, that question
    remains unaddressed.
    12
    STATE v. FURLONG
    Winthrop, J. dissenting
    precludes Furlong from being eligible to have his judgment of guilt set
    aside or expunged pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-921(B)(1).
    AMY M. WOOD • Clerk of the Court
    FILED: AA
    13