Juvenile Attorney

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the United States Department of Justice reports that in 1999, juvenile-courts in the U.S. processed approximately 1,673,000 delinquency cases. When the stakes are this high, your best bet is to have a tough juvenile defense attorney on your side.

Sixty-six percent of the juveniles whose cases came before a judge in 1999 were adjudged delinquent. That's two-thirds-a significant percentage. Of those adjudged delinquent, twenty-four percent, or almost one of every four, were sentenced to a residential facility-a juvenile jail. A skilled and knowledgeable juvenile defense attorney is your best ally in the courtroom.

In 1999, approximately 7,500 children were referred to adult courts for trial. The juvenile is treated the same as an adult in the court system, without the special protections given to juveniles. If your child has been charged with a crime, do not delay in seeking the help of an experienced juvenile defense lawyer so that you can minimize the possibility that he or she will end up in the adult court system.

In some states, your child may be required by court rules to consult with an attorney. Even if an attorney is not required by law, it's essential to make sure your child gets the help he or she needs at a difficult time.

Juvenile Matters - An Overview

Juvenile-law deals with crimes committed by children. The maximum age for a juvenile-offender varies from state to state, but is most commonly seventeen. By federal law, a juvenile is a person under the age of eighteen when he or she violates the law he or she is charged with. Governmental bodies, including the federal government, states and cities, prosecute various crimes committed by children, from traffic violations to felonies like rape and murder. If your child has been charged with a crime, it is essential that you seek legal counsel from an experienced juvenile defense attorney at once so that you can preserve his or her rights and future.

Children involved in juvenile-court matters have many of the same rights their parents would have if they were accused of a crime. These rights include the right to remain silent, the right to cross-examine witnesses against them and the right to be represented by an attorney. Additionally, in most states, juvenile-court records are not open to the public, but are sealed, so that no one will be able to access a juvenile-record. A juvenile defense attorney can explain and clarify your local practices and take some of the mystery out of a frightening situation.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Juvenile Court

Q: What is juvenile court?

A: Children who break the law are subject to a separate judicial system called the juvenile court system (in some states, the court may be called Family Court or Probate Court). Generally, the focus of the juvenile-court system is more on rehabilitation than on punishment. In some cases, however, older juveniles who commit crimes that are serious will be charged as adults and tried in the adult criminal courts. In such cases, sentences will be in accord with adult punishment, whereas in juvenile-court any incarceration is usually in a rehabilitative setting and generally ends when the juvenile attains the age of majority.

Juvenile courts in many states also hear cases involving the abuse or neglect of children.

Q: What is the maximum age for juvenile court?

A: The most common maximum age for a child to be in juvenile court is seventeen years, although some states set a maximum of fifteen or sixteen. Some states set different ages for particular types of crimes. In most states, cases involving a juvenile of any age may be transferred to adult court.

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