B.h., a Child Under Eighteen v. Commonwealth of Kentucky

Summary

The court held that the juvenile’s unconditional admission to amended public-offense allegations, entered knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily after a rights colloquy, waived his right to appeal the resulting adjudication. Because he did not condition the admission on preserving appellate claims and did not argue that the petition charged no offense, the circuit court should have dismissed the appeal rather than reach the merits. Justice Cunningham, concurring, agreed with dismissal but expressed concern about the delayed recognition of the waiver and the apparent selective prosecution of the juvenile.