Aside from having your child suffer a health issue or fatality, there is nothing worse than watching them get into trouble with gangs, drugs, or violence and having to deal with the repercussions of juvenile crimes. Dealing with the heartbreak of serious misbehaving and even criminal activity is extremely difficult for any parent, not to mention having to deal with the consequences of what financial repercussions your minor child may have incurred, speaking with police, hiring a good juvenile crime attorney, attending court, jail, and more.
Call a skilled juvenile defense lawyer from a firm like the Dolan Law Offices as soon as possible if your minor child will require legal representation. If they have been arrested, it is best that they give as little information as possible to the police. While even adults can be in a precarious position when speaking with law enforcement, children are much more easily frightened and manipulated in a legal situation and could even admit to crimes they did not commit. They could fall prey to many different tactics that will leave them vulnerable, from speaking on hidden cameras, to speaking to police officers at school, to writing confessions or apologies to ‘victims.’
In California, the courts focus more on rehabilitation than punishment, but depending on the crime, your child could be put on probation, be sent to a corrections camp, or sent to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for juveniles. If they have been arrested and are in jail, they will be allowed two phone calls, with the recommendation to call parents, and then call an attorney. If you have discovered the arrest before having a phone call, police must let you know where your child is and where they are detained.
There could be many different outcomes, depending on the crime. And there may be worse consequences if it is a gang-related drug deal or homicide. If they are 14 or older, they may be tried in adult court for crimes such as robbery, murder, rape, arson, gun charges, drug charges, kidnapping, and more. This will usually occur also if they have escaped or attempted to escape from a juvenile detention facility.
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 to try and avoid something like 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.