When a young person crosses the line into criminal actions – shoplifting on a dare, driving along Interstate 4 after drinking at a Rollins College fraternity party, assaulting a classmate at Dr. Phillips High School – to some degree their acts can be attributed to a not-yet-fully developed brain. Florida’s judicial system realizes this and prioritizes rehabilitation over incarceration, but if your teen becomes embroiled in the system, it does not mean they will get off with just a slap on the wrist.
In Florida, young people are taken to a Juvenile Assessment Center after they are arrested for a crime, after which a juvenile probation officer will report the results to the State Attorney’s office to determine charges. As a parent, you should always be proactive when it comes to your child’s future, which means working with a local defense attorney. Contact a Dr. Phillips juvenile defense lawyer now to protect your child’s future.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nonfatal violent crimes such as rape, robbery, and assault, committed by youth aged 12 through 17, have decreased 85 percent since 1993. Although these crimes are still being committed and must be addressed, less serious crimes generally are more attractive to teens.
These include theft crimes such as shoplifting and burglary, and criminal mischief, which involves damaging someone else’s property, like with spray paint. Teens also are more apt to get into fights and be charged with assault or battery, and they are often arrested for disorderly conduct like loitering, obstructing thoroughfares, street racing, and using offensive language in public. Young males are more apt to drink and drive, and teens experiment with drugs.
Whether the crime is a misdemeanor or a felony, a Dr. Phillips juvenile defense attorney is your calm and experienced ally who will guide the family through the confusing justice system journey.
Florida is known for charging teens as adults when a crime is a violent felony and there is a track record of criminal activity. Violent felonies include murder, robbery, brandishing a weapon during the commission of a crime, kidnapping, discharging a bomb, and several other acts. Convictions lead to incarceration in state prison, fines, and probation, as well as the stigma in society once released.
According to Florida Statutes § 985.556, a minor can request trial as an adult under a voluntary waiver, or the prosecutor can use a direct file at their discretion to move a juvenile case to adult court, if the juvenile was at least 14 years old at the time of the crime. Some transfers are mandatory under the law.
Juveniles in Dr. Phillips can also be sentenced under Florida’s youthful offender laws, with punishment amounting to:
Questionable judgment among young people ceases being funny when the judgment leads to arrest. For immediate help mitigating this unfortunate situation, contact a Dr. Phillips juvenile defense attorney now.
It is embedded in the U.S. Constitution that every citizen has a right to present a defense to criminal charges that can, upon conviction, take away your freedom. Our experienced attorneys dissect cases to determine the best defense for our clients. These can include having an airtight alibi, mistaken identity, entrapment by police unduly pressuring a teen to commit a crime they would not ordinarily commit, and violation of the Fourth Amendment search and seizure mandates.
If the teen appears in an adult court, the prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is the only one who could have committed the crime. We sew doubt at trial and refute evidence with our interpretation of the facts. A Dr. Phillips lawyer negotiates, mitigates, and litigates cases for juveniles.
Most adults acknowledge that they committed misdeeds close to being unlawful in their youth, but they were never caught and outgrew the brash behavior. Sometimes that behavior crosses the legal line, and teens are arrested for misdemeanors, and sometimes felonies. It is here that the justice system intercedes, and you should, too.
Do not let your teens’ indiscretions shadow their future. We have an arsenal of tactics to work with in advocating for them. We believe in second chances and learning from one’s mistakes. You have found a tenacious advocate in a Dr. Phillips juvenile defense lawyer, so call now to learn how we can help your child.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
