When hiring a juvenile defense attorney, it is important to hire someone with experience in the juvenile justice system. Without representation, your child may receive consequences that are unwarranted or unnecessary. Your child may even be adjudicated of a crime they did not commit!! This is because most children do not have the legal knowledge necessary to present their own defense. The presentation to the judge in the juvenile system is different than that in the criminal system. When you hir

With very few exceptions, a parent can’t represent or present a case on behalf of their child. This means if you do not hire an attorney, your child will be presenting his or her case to the judge on their own. Your child would have to make legal decisions regarding their case without any guidance from the court. This is not advisable. When you hire an attorney, the attorney represents your child and makes legal argument on their behalf. The attorney explains all consequences and procedures in d

As with any case, lawyers are trained to deal with the law. They understand all of the processes and procedures. This means they can assist and guide you through the process. The attorney will know what information will help, and what will hurt, your child’s case. The attorney will prepare a defense and present the case in a light most favorable to your child so that the best possible outcome can be achieved.

If your child is taken into custody for a juvenile charge you should report to the agency immediately. The officers will inform you if they will be releasing the child to your custody pending the detention review or if the child will need to be transported to the DJJ housing facility. If the child is released to your care, you will need to make sure you make every court date. All juveniles must have a parent or guardian present during court proceedings. Next, you should call an attorney to revie

In its current form, the adult criminal system focuses on punishment. There is very little regard for mitigating factors such as the offender’s environment, family history, background or extenuating circumstances. In the juvenile system, the focus is on rehabilitation and getting services for a child. The idea is that children sometimes make bad decisions and with guidance they can make better choices as they get older. Locking up the child is a last resort. The biggest difference is that in the

If a child is “delinquent” it means they have been found guilty of a crime. So a delinquent act is any act that is criminal if committed by an adult. There are other acts called “status offenses” that are not criminal in nature that can justify an officer of the law detaining a juvenile. These offenses are: Truancy (skipping school) Running away from home Being out past curfew Loitering in places unlawful for a minor (such as bars) Alcohol use Disobeying a parent If a child commits these acts on

A child may only be held in secure detention if the juvenile is alleged to be delinquent or undisciplined and meets the criteria for secure custody. Whether or not a juvenile will be held in a detention facility depends on the circumstances of the case and whether there are grounds to detain the juvenile to protect the community, for the juvenile’s protection or to secure the juvenile’s presence in court. The preferred method when dealing with juveniles is to release them to the parent on “home

The juvenile justice system is the branch of the court set up to deal specifically with children. The theory is that children are not fully developed and need different consideration and services than that of an adult. The juvenile justice system has two branches. First there is a branch that deals with “delinquency.” Delinquency is the criminal branch that deals with a child’s criminal conduct when they commit crimes. The Department of Juvenile Justice (“DJJ”) is a part of this branch. DJJ prov

A juvenile delinquent is a child who has been found guilty of an offense that if committed by an adult would be a crime. Juvenile delinquency is the equivalent of an adult conviction. This does not include traffic offenses. For example, if an adult steals a shirt from the store, and the court determines that the adult committed the act, the adult is “adjudicated guilty” and “convicted” of the crime. If a child goes into the same store, steals the same shirt and the court finds they committed the

An undisciplined juvenile is a child under the age of 18 who is regularly disobedient to and beyond the control of the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or custodian. It can also refer to a juvenile who is regularly found in places where it is unlawful for a juvenile to be (such as bars or in unsafe areas) or who has run away from home. A juvenile who is habitually truant (skips a lot of school) can also be labeled an undisciplined juvenile.