Minor's Capacity to Authorize Counsel Upheld in Placement Appeal

In an appeal against a provisional placement order, the appellate court affirmed the procedural capacity of a nearly seventeen-year-old appellant who had independently signed the power of attorney for his defense counsel, ruling that under the relevant civil code, a minor capable of discernment can independently exercise personal rights, which includes procedural rights as an accused person in criminal proceedings, thereby validating the mandate granted by the minor without the consent of the legal guardian, especially since the minor's capacity to make decisions regarding his placement was uncontested.