If your child gets in trouble with the law in The Villages, you can get assistance from a Bogin, Munns & Munns. As a retirement community with some family housing, the crime rate is relatively low in this area. However, sometimes children and teens make poor choices.
We understand the laws, and a The Villages juvenile crime lawyer from our team can help.
Getting Help for a Juvenile Criminal Case
When you get a phone call or a visit from law enforcement officers telling you that your child is in trouble, panic can set in quickly. Human nature tends to cause us to jump to worst-case scenarios. Sometimes, it may be that bad, but it can often become a valuable lesson in life for your child.
Understanding the justice system as it applies to juveniles, our criminal defense team can help. We can explain detention, the courts, and all the details of the process so that you know what is happening and when. Specifically, a juvenile crime lawyer can:
- Assist you in navigating the complicated court system
- Protect your child’s rights
- Gather evidence to create a defense plan
- Work to decrease punitive measures (fines, jail, and probation)
- Represent your child at trial
Our defense team will work aggressively to defend your child.
To consult with an experienced juvenile crime lawyer serving The Villages
855-780-9986
A Juvenile Has a Right to Counsel
Almost everyone who has seen a law enforcement show on television knows about the Miranda Warning. The simple statement is required before anyone gets questioned by police – including juveniles.
Part of the Miranda decision in 1966 included the requirement for anyone accused of any crime to be told that they have the right to an attorney. In juvenile cases, the right to counsel was determined in 1967 and is included in the United States Constitution within the Due Process Clause.
Juveniles in Florida have the right to counsel for any court proceeding, including:
- Arraignment hearings
- Detention hearings
- Probation violation hearings
- Restitution and disposition hearings
If a juvenile appears in court without an attorney, the court will make sure they understand their right to counsel.
Juveniles Can Be Charged as Adults
Even with a fully functioning juvenile justice system, there are some instances when a prosecuting attorney may try your child as an adult. In Florida, children can remain in the juvenile system until they reach 18. In cases with severe offenses, a request to try a child as an adult can be made for children older than 14.
If you find out that your child will be tried as an adult, it might be best to obtain a juvenile crime lawyer to assist you.
Charging a Child as an Adult
There are four ways in which juveniles may be tried as adults in Florida:
- Prosecutorial discretion is used with juveniles 14 and older charged with particularly violent crimes per Florida Statutes § 985.557(1).
- Statutory exclusion is used for juveniles 16 and older who were previously convicted of a felony charge as a juvenile per Florida Statutes § 985.557(2).
- Discretionary judicial transfer can be requested for juveniles 14 and older with a history of delinquency or specific offenses. The court must approve this type of transfer per Florida Statutes § 985.557(2) and Florida Statutes § 985.556(3).
- Once an adult, always an adult means that once a juvenile offender is tried and convicted in an adult court, all subsequent offenses will automatically refer to adult court unless a juvenile sanction is granted per Florida Statutes § 985.557(3)(a) and Florida Statutes § 985.556(5)(a).
Dealing With Severe Offenses
It may seem cut-and-dried when a juvenile is charged with a misdemeanor offense. However, with more severe offenses, contacting a juvenile crime lawyer serving The Villages may be helpful.
Several factors are considered when determining how serious an offense is. Before levying charges, the prosecutors will look at whether a weapon was used, any previous history of delinquency, the target of the crime, and whether the alleged offense involved gang activity.
Severe offenses are often transferred into the adult court system.
The Villages Juvenile Crime Lawyer Near Me
855-780-9986
Understanding Your Role as a Parent
A parent or guardian must appear with a juvenile for any court appearance. Your role is to support your child and assist with necessary decisions. Although a juvenile crime lawyer will discuss the cases and strategy directly with your child, they also count on your assistance.
How You Can Help Your Child in Court
You can be an integral part of the defense team by ensuring your child understands what is happening. That includes the short and long-term impact of the proceedings.
Working with a juvenile defense lawyer can help you understand what’s happening as the case progresses through the court system. Aside from assisting, your presence in support of your child can bolster them emotionally.
Understanding and Protecting Your Child’s Rights
Like any adult accused of a crime, your child has rights in a juvenile proceeding. Your juvenile crime lawyer can ensure that you and your child understand those rights. They will also work to protect your child’s rights before and during all proceedings.
When you and your child experience pressure from the prosecution, you shouldn’t allow that to influence your decisions. Some Florida charges include mandatory consequences such as probation and jail time.
You may not hear about those until after a plea deal. A juvenile crime lawyer will make sure you understand any mandatory provisions before making final decisions.
Click to contact our The Villages Juvenile Crime Lawyers today
Schedule a Case Review with Bogin, Munns & Munns
When bad decisions lead to run-ins with the law, a The Villages juvenile crime lawyer can help you sort it out. Our team has over four decades of experience working with criminal law.
Schedule a case review with Bogin, Munns & Munns to discuss the charges against your child and how we can help.
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