If your child has been arrested, chances are everyone—except experienced law enforcement—is frightened. Even for an adult who may have been through the legal system previously, being arrested at any time for whatever reason is a long, stressful experience that may be drawn out for weeks or even months with a court date looming. There is also the wildcard for how law enforcement is going to react and treat someone, with the potential for rough handling or even unnecessary violence. Children of any age can react unpredictably out of fear, or they may even become hysterical in such a traumatic situation, causing them to lash out verbally or physically, with the chance of being charged for resisting arrest also.
It is difficult to prepare your child ahead of time for being arrested, because no one expects to have to sit down and talk to their child about what to do if they find themselves at the hands of law-enforcement. This is not something you want to put in your child’s mind normally, isn’t something you want to think about to begin with, and there is not a lot of protocol for such a situation unless your child has already been in trouble with the law repeatedly. They should always understand that law enforcement must be treated with complete respect, but if they find themselves in a situation where they are being charged, to say as little as possible until you—and hopefully an attorney too—can help.
If your child has been taken into custody and processed, at some point you should be notified and told where to go to at least visit with your child, if not take them home. If they have a court date, you may worry about what will happen next, and depending on the level of the crime, you should prepare yourself for repercussions and punishment such as probation, being placed in another home or even a ‘camp’ or juvenile disciplinary setting. If they have committed an extremely serious crime or if they are on the verge of turning 18, it is possible they could be tried as an adult.
If your minor child has been charged with a crime, call Dolan Law Offices as soon as possible. We have defended hundreds of adults and juveniles in these matters, with successful results—and it is very important also to try and avoid a gang crime conviction that would be on your child’s record permanently, leading to further escalation if there were another charge in the future. Call us at (760) 775-3739 or contact us online as soon as possible.