The 5 Most Common Juvenile Crimes in Florida
Children are bound to get into trouble, but the situation can turn serious quickly when the law becomes involved. In Florida, there were a little over 45,000 juveniles arrested between 2019 and 2020. As a parent, you teach your kids right from wrong, but sometimes the situation can escalate past your ability to help.
If your child is facing legal penalties or even jail time, you should speak with the Orlando criminal defense lawyers at Umansky Law. Our experienced legal team has helped to defend many juvenile criminal cases. Juvenile crimes can happen in many different scenarios, but in our experience, we have found that there are five that are the most common in Florida.
Florida’s 5 Most Common Juvenile Crimes
There is a saying, “kids will be kids,” but that does not apply when a juvenile commits a crime. In Florida, these juvenile crimes are the most common:
Assault & Battery
Something as simple as a fight at school can quickly turn into an assault and battery charge for your child. While assault and battery are two separate crimes, they are often charged together. According to Florida statute 784.011, assault is defined as the intentional, unlawful threat by acts or words to inflict violence on another.
To be charged with assault, no actual contact must be made, as long as the threat, intent, and ability to inflict harm were present. Florida statute 784.03 defines battery as the intentional striking or touching of another person against their will with the intent of causing them harm.
Burglary
Kids may tend to have sticky fingers, but when they take an item that could be considered stolen, there is a more significant issue at hand. Burglary is defined as a situation when someone enters or remains in a building with the intent to steal something.
Petit Larceny
If a juvenile has stolen an item, they may be charged with petit larceny in the case that the worth of the item is between $100 and $300. While this charge is not as harsh as burglary, it is still a serious crime.
Misdemeanor Violations of Drug Laws
It will come as no surprise to you that many of America’s youth experiment with recreational drugs. Most often, those caught in possession of marijuana or prescription pills can be charged with a misdemeanor for their violation of Florida drug laws but are not likely to get off as easily if caught again.
Trespassing
Children seem always to be attracted to going places they are not supposed to be. While it may seem like innocent fun to sneak onto a property with large “trespassers not allowed” signs, it is a crime that they can get into legal trouble for.
Experienced Orlando Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You
If your child has been accused of a juvenile crime, you may be stressed and scared, wondering what you can do to help them. No one wants to see their child face serious charges or jail time, which is why hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney is vital to helping your child’s case.
Umansky Law is a team of award-winning Orlando criminal defense attorneys who believe everyone deserves a second chance. Receiving an overall rating of five stars on over 300 third-party review platforms, our client testimonials speak for themselves. With extensive experience handling juvenile defense cases, we are confident in our abilities to help build your child’s case. To set up a free case evaluation, contact us here or call our office.
