Juvenile Criminal Attorney

It is incredibly important that a juvenile charged with a crime receives competent and effective representation.  Juvenile cases can impact a young person’s self-image, future job opportunities, and future decisions.

Juvenile clients are not the same as adults, and should not be treated the same.  Even the most responsible minors have real difficulty truly understanding the future ramifications of the decisions that they make regarding their cases, or the actions that led to their arrests. Scientific studies show that the human brain does not fully develop, particularly regarding the ability to appreciate consequences of actions, until age 25. We understand that the best representation of a juvenile requires us to explain the judicial process differently to a juvenile than to his or her parents, and it requires us to approach the case differently than the case of an adult.

Some juvenile cases are “direct filed” to adult court because of the minor’s past record, or because of the seriousness of the charges.  Even when this happens, it is possible to get the case sent back to juvenile court if certain steps are taken and approved.  Juveniles who are direct filed to felony court need their attorneys to be well-versed in this process to give them the best opportunity available for their cases to go back to juvenile court.