Daytona Beach Juvenile Crime Lawyer
If you are under 18 and break the law, you can be charged with a juvenile offense. Your case will be handled by the Juvenile System, including Juvenile Corrections and Juvenile Court. This is true even if you are emancipated. If your son or daughter is facing juvenile criminal charges, it can be very upsetting for you, as a parent, and for your child. If your son or daughter is faced with criminal charges, it is critical to seek legal counsel with an experienced Daytona Beach juvenile crime lawyer.
The purpose of Florida’s juvenile justice system is to protect society more effectively by attempting to rehabilitate, not just punish, children who commit crimes. Children in Florida are persons under age 18. Juvenile courts in Florida work with law enforcement, prosecution and defense attorneys, and the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) in devising rehabilitation plans for children in trouble with the law. The courts will try to ensure that the child learns from his or her experience and returns to the community as a productive citizen, without having suffered permanent harm.
Whether an individual will be charged as an adult or a juvenile in the Florida legal system depends on more than just their age. In order for an offense to be considered a “juvenile offense,” one must consider both the type of crime and the age of the person who committed it at the time it was committed. If the crime is a misdemeanor, the defendant will be considered a juvenile if they were 17 years old or younger when the crime took place.
If the crime is a felony, the Defendant will be considered a juvenile if they were 17 years old or younger when the crime took place, except in certain circumstances when the defendant can be transferred to adult court, such as murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery with a firearm, armed robbery, or aggravated vehicular hijacking.
Sentencing in juvenile court can vary widely depending on many different factors. Restitution, community service, counseling, drug treatment, time in a juvenile facility, or probation. Our law firm will work with the court to determine what would be best for your child.
Juvenile offenses are often less serious than adult crimes. Minors can be charged with any crime, up to and including murder, but most are less serious. For example:
- Drug possession
- Vandalism
- Underage drinking
- Gang Activity
- Trespassing
- Vandalism
- Traffic Violations
- Shoplifting/Theft
Many very young children find themselves facing serious penalties in adult courts and adult prisons for crimes that would in the past have involved the juvenile justice system. Our juvenile court lawyers at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A., have worked closely with prosecutors and social agencies to have adult charges decertified and litigated in juvenile, rather than adult court. Placing a child in adult prison has the opposite effect of essentially training the child for a life of crime, as opposed to interdiction by the juvenile system that can steer juvenile offenders towards the help they need and a normal life.
Contact Our Experienced Daytona Beach Juvenile Crime Lawyers
The Florida juvenile defense lawyers at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A. work hard to ensure that your child’s rights are protected and that exposure to the juvenile court system is kept to a minimum, either through juvenile court trials, plea agreements or alternatives to prosecution like counseling or public service. When a child commits a crime, the best thing society can do for them is to provide them with the support and assistance they need to become contributing members of society rather than a financial burden in the adult prison system.
If your son or daughter is faced with criminal charges, it is critical to seek legal counsel with experience with juvenile matters. The attorneys at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A., have just such experience and we will use all of the means at our disposal to construct the best defense possible. Call our Daytona Beach juvenile offense lawyers today at 866-785-5470 for a free legal consultation.