Juvenile Delinquency Attorney in FL
Juveniles can be charged with the same types of misdemeanors and felonies as adults. Criminal cases involving minors are known as juvenile delinquency cases. The court can sentence juveniles in delinquency cases to probation, placement in a juvenile facility; or, if the State prosecutes the juvenile child as an adult, the juvenile child can be sentenced to jail or prison, just like an adult.
Juvenile Probation
Juvenile probation terms in a delinquency case often include similar terms that are imposed on adults, and may require a delinquent juvenile child to perform community service, submit to substance abuse evaluation, obtain treatment at residential or non-residential treatment programs, submit to psychological and psychiatric evaluations, engage in counseling, complete special court-ordered classes, participate in mentoring, and pay financial obligations such as restitution, fines, and costs. The court may also require a delinquent juvenile child to obey household rules, attend school, abide by strict curfew requirements, and comply with stay-away provision and injunctions.
Commitment to Juvenile Programs
Delinquent juveniles that are not eligible for probation are generally sentenced to “programs,” not prison. Juvenile delinquency court has a variety of programs to which it may commit a delinquent child. Delinquent juveniles may be sent certain non-residential or residential detention facilities, which may be non-secure or secure (locked down), and which may be located far from home.
Beware the “Direct File”
In more serious criminal cases, the state can “direct file” a juvenile and prosecute the juvenile as an adult. No longer is the case considered a juvenile delinquency case. In direct-file cases, the juvenile is prosecuted for crimes in the same courtroom as adult cases, and is subject to the same types of punishment as an adult, including prison.
When a Juvenile Record is NOT Confidential
Juvenile delinquency records are generally confidential. However, the commission of additional crimes after the age of majority may result in the cases losing confidential status. Some employers, schools, and even the military require a juvenile delinquent to “voluntarily” release records of arrests and crimes as a condition of applying to school, for work, or for joining the military. In such event, the right to confidentiality in a juvenile delinquency case is relatively hollow.
Call DeVoe Law Firm
Juvenile delinquency charges should not be taken lightly. Protect your child’s record. Protect your child’s future. Call DeVoe Law Firm to get cost-effective representation by an experienced attorney in your minor child’s juvenile delinquency case.