Juvenile Offenses and the Law
This guide covers juvenile offenses and the justice system, juvenile detention centers, miranda rights, first offender program, juvenile detention and how a lawyer can help you with your case.
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Juvenile Offenses and the Justice SystemOffenses from youthful offenders are not uncommon. However, this group of individuals is often perceived as a group that can be rehabilitated and avoid a life of crime. This makes crimes involving juvenile delinquency a complex area of the law that attempts to balance the needs of the public with the needs of the youth.
Read more- Juvenile Detention Centers - Do Full Defendant Rights Apply?
No matter what the juvenile does that leads to a possible arrest or a conviction, he or she may have a different experience in the criminal justice system based on the state where he or she resides. This could affect what rights are available and how the matter will proceed through the courts and with a lawyer even if the juvenile has the same rights as an adult.
Read more - Juveniles and Miranda Rights
Juveniles who are arrested are afforded the same protections as an adult including the reading of Miranda Rights. Proper law enforcement procedure is crucial for both the juvenile accused of a crime and the police.
Read more - What Is the Difference in Being Charged as a Juvenile or Adult?
Differences in juvenile and adult courts may provide a better or worse outcome depending on the circumstances and if the same person could stay out of adult court cases. The situation generally depends on the age of the accused person, but exceptions exist that must increase the severity of the charges and try the person as an adult.
Read more - About First Offender Programs
First offender Programs are alternative sentencing program that take into consideration the negative consequences associated with a criminal history. They often allow a person who has committed a crime a preferable alternative to the normal conviction process, provided that the individual completes certain requirements.
Read more - What Is the Juvenile Criminal Process?
To help rehabilitate and ensure possible counseling of youth that commits crimes, the juvenile criminal process exists with a judge and the young person in the courtroom rather than a jury for such trials. It is through this procedure that the adolescent may find leniency based on the crime and circumstances of the illegal act.
Read more - Juvenile Detention Time Increased as Alternative to Serving Probation
Depending on the judge, the lawyers present and the requests of the teen facing the possible judgment in a juvenile court, some court cases may increase time in a juvenile detention center rather than give the individual time through probation. The youth may request an alternative to time in probation after the initial term served.
Read more - How to Seal a Juvenile Record
Because courts and legislators recognize that minors sometimes lack judgment skills and may have indiscretions in their youth, juveniles are sometimes permitted to seal criminal juvenile records. By sealing or expunging their records, juveniles may be able to get a fresh start when they become adults.
Read more - High School Fights – Can They Be Prosecuted
The possible legal consequences between two students may lead to a court case for violence, aggressive behavior and assault for a high school fight. This may depend on the specific circumstances of the fight, the resolution or attempt to end the fight by the school administration and the degree of injuries suffered by the perpetrator.
Read more - Juveniles and Weapons Possession
Many youths are subjected to difficult periods of childhood that may be rife with the possibility of crimes committed to them or from them. When an adolescent is part of a gang, he or she may carry or possess a weapon. These may include bladed items, firearms or club-like armaments.
Read more - When is a Schoolyard Brawl a Battery?
Kids will be kids, or so the saying goes. As such, children often roughhouse and get into small fights in the schoolyard. Most parents, teachers, and administrators, while not pleased by such conduct, know that it is an inevitable part of life in the school system and for many, a rite of passage for the children involved. But legally, when does it go from a simple schoolyard brawl punished by detentions or suspensions to a battery that could be punished by jail or a civil lawsuit?
Read more - Who is Responsible When a Child Breaks the Law?
All too often stories appear on the news of children in trouble with the law. Some bring guns or knives to school, others are shoplifting or stealing cars, and of course, there are always the ones who get into fights. Often, public outcry demands that something be done against the parents as well as the child. So, who is responsible when a child breaks the law?
Read more - Juvenile Crimes
Juvenile crimes are the fastest growing area of criminal activity in America. Juvenile crimes are considered those crimes committed by people who are under the age of eighteen. Juvenile offenders, or “juvenile delinquents,” as they are sometimes referred to, are usually handled differently than adult offenders, but an increasing trend toward harsher sentencing may erode this distinction in the near future.
Read more - Juveniles and Felony Charges
Juvenile offenders generally will start with charges in the juvenile courts. The juvenile court judge may then determine the matter is no longer an issue for this type of court and may bump it up to the criminal court system for adults. While felonies generally are significantly more severe than misdemeanors, it usually depends on the charge whether the judge will consider it a juvenile or adult matter.
Read more - When Is a Child Offender Sentenced to Juvie?
The way that children and adults are treated under the law is very different. This is primarily because of the different roles of the judicial system in their lives. For adults, the goal is to punish the offender. However, for children, the hope is to rehabilitate them so that they will not go on to commit crimes in the future. Juvenile detention facilities are sometimes used on child offenders.
Read more - Juvenile Criminal Conduct – At What Age Are They Not liable?
The age limits depend on both state and common law regulations that provide the limits of what a juvenile may commit regarding crime and when the young person has a presumption of liability. These ages depend on the state, local laws and what the area considers a juvenile that may lead to the juvenile criminal justice system.
Read more - Alcohol Crimes and Juveniles - What Are the Possible Charges?
Juveniles often suffer greater charges when caught with alcohol than their adult counterparts because the judge wants to ensure they understand the message, and there are additional serious concerns when someone under the age drinks. Charges can include possession, drinking and driving, driving under the influence and open can crimes.
Read more - Federal Juvenile Justice System
The federal juvenile justice system exists to enact justice on behalf of the law when a teen violates federal regulations in a certain way, but the court can pass the youth onto the appropriate state court or try the person as an adult in the criminal justice system. There are federal delinquency proceedings that could also try the young person in a federal court.
Read more - Juvenile Criminal Defendants - When Can They Be Prosecuted as an Adult?
There are many different cases where the juvenile court judge will pass the teen onto the adult criminal system because of the severity of the crime, the improbable means of rehabilitation or when the judge feels the juvenile committed the crime maliciously. During these cases, the teen will pass from one court to another and face criminal justice.
Read more - Juvenile Justice: Can Video Featuring Juveniles Be Used to Apprehend Them?
The juvenile justice system is set up much differently than the traditional justice system because it focuses on rehabilitation and countering negative behavior. Therefore, there are often additional safeguards that prevent the disclosure of information that identifies the juvenile. Whether video featuring potential criminal action by juveniles can be released depends on state law and circumstance surrounding the action.
Read more - Juvenile Runaways - Consequences in Juvenile or Family Court and Possibly Criminal Court
Running away from home is not usually a crime, but the individual may proceed to the juvenile courts when the local authorities arrest the youth for certain activities connected to the runaway situation. In these events, the courts may remand the teen over to a detention center or for certain programs that he or she must complete.
Read more - Juveniles Convicted of Murder – Is a Sentence to Life Without Parole Possible?
Laws change constantly, and juveniles previously convicted of murder and sentenced to life with no chance of parole may have new opportunities for a release from incarceration. It is through the changes with the Supreme Court decisions that chances of early release or lesser penalties are even possible for juveniles convicted of these crimes.
Read more - Juveniles Starting Wild Fires - What Are the Possible Charges?
Wildfires started by someone under the age of majority could lead to severe consequences that may even lead to repayment in the millions for the damages wrought. A teen facing the charges of starting a wildfire may face state or federal penalties if a conviction does occur, and often the judge will determine the youth will face the trial as an adult.
Read more - Penalties for Juvenile Offenders
The possible penalties that a juvenile offender may receive usually depend on the age of the individual and if the court will try him or her as a juvenile or an adult. The factors may specifically rely on the severity of the crime and all elements of the offense to include the injury or death of the victim involved in the situation.
Read more - Pocket Knifes in School - What Juvenile Offenses Are Possible?
Youths may often take various items to school that are on a ban list or that are inappropriate for the age group, and a weapon is another possible object brought to school without intent to harm others. When this action occurs, the young person may face one or multiple juvenile offenses and charges that lead to the courtroom.
Read more - Vandalism and the Juvenile Offender
Vandalism is a malicious action a teen often engages in with other teens or to rebel or act out, but some of these activities involve the destruction of property and the criminal mischief that can lead to criminal offense charges in the courts. Property damage and personal injury are the most serious which usually require punishments with a judge.
Read more - Rape Charges When the Perpetrator Is a Juvenile
Sex crimes with juveniles generally separate into these illegal acts against other juveniles or with adults, and this could also separate the matter into the youth facing juvenile court or as an adult in the criminal justice system. The age and type of court may depend on the state and the age of the individual along with other possible aggravating factors.
Read more - Most Common Juvenile Crimes
Young people may commit crimes. Some of these crimes are the same as adult offenders commit while others are based more on their age or other factors. Individuals who are facing conviction of juvenile crimes may wish to contact a criminal defense lawyer to learn about their rights in the juvenile justice system.
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