There are certain telephone calls no parent ever wants to receive. Near the top of that list is the call telling you your child has been arrested. Juveniles are not immune from the law. When they break it, they are, like adults, subject to arrest and prosecution. And, for better or worse, schools are increasingly calling police to handle issues that used to be treated as everyday matters of school discipline. That means more children – especially children with special needs – are being shunted out of the care of teachers and counselors and into the hands of the juvenile justice system.
The juvenile system differs from the adult criminal system in many ways. Juvenile probation officers, unlike their counterparts in the criminal justice system, are involved with the child earlier in the process. They have significant discretion to choose the means by which a child’s alleged offense is addressed. That’s why our juvenile defense attorneys engage quickly with juvenile probation officers to advocate for the most appropriate treatment of every child. And when cases are referred to court for hearings on whether a child should be found delinquent, we’re there every step of the way to fight for the best possible outcome. Because while the juvenile system is intended to be rehabilitative, the punishments following a finding of juvenile delinquency can be severe.
That’s why it’s important for children going through the juvenile system – including those who have been punished following a finding of delinquency – to have an experienced juvenile delinquency lawyer to guide them through every step of the process. Our juvenile criminal defense lawyers are dedicated to providing legal representation to children who are caught up in the juvenile justice system. We ensure each child’s rights are protected, and her or his case well-fought, so that your child can move beyond the alleged offense in the most productive way. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
Children don’t stop being children when they turn 18. They do, however, become adults in the eyes of the law. And once children are 18, alleged misbehavior can lead to arrest, criminal prosecution by state and federal authorities, and significant time in prison. If your adult child is facing possible criminal charges, she or he needs an experienced lawyer to provide counsel and vindicate her or his rights at every step of the proceedings – including before formal charges are filed.
At Raffaele & Associates, we engage with state and federal prosecutors to avoid, where possible, the filing of criminal charges. In cases where charges are filed, we represent defendants at every stage of a criminal case (pretrial, trial, sentencing, and appeal) to achieve the best possible outcome. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
