Juvenile Defense
Your child's future.
Most parents are terrified when faced with the prospect of a child who has been caught up in the Juvenile Justice system. Lifelong consequences are at stake and the situation should be treated with the utmost of seriousness. While being charged with a crime is completely different from being guilty, you may be shocked at how quickly these lines are blurred when it comes to the treatment of your child.
Good advice: silence.
Although the rules may be different from the adult system, the advice is still the same. Say nothing. Do not say, or allow your child to say anything on their behalf outside the presence of an attorney. While the police may be doing their jobs, in most situations they are actively seeking to charge a crime. I have seen many instances where a well-meaning explanation by a parent has been twisted to help strengthen the case against a child.
Get a Criminal Defense Attorney. Now.
The next piece of advice is to quickly consult an experienced Criminal Defense Attorney. While some schools of thought recommend a parent practice “tough love” and let the child stand on their own, I have to strongly disagree with this advice. Regardless of how rebellious your child may be acting, if they have been charged with a crime, they are definitely in over their head and facing potential long-term consequences that are beyond their imagination. The sooner you put an attorney to work on your child’s behalf, the better chance you have of getting your child back on the right track.
Most parents know that kids often act without thinking of the consequences. Sometimes those consequences are so severe and disproportionate to the action, it takes outside help to put things back in order.