What is juvenile delinquency? The short answer is that when someone under the age of 18 is charged with and admits to or is found guilty of a crime, that person can be adjudicated delinquent. The charge could range from something as simple as violating curfew to first-degree murder. Regardless, if a person under the age of 18 is charged with and admits to or is found guilty of such a crime, then a judge determines that that person is a juvenile delinquent.
Most of the time, the hearing and Court file are confidential, although certain parts of the file may be public knowledge if the person was 16 years of age or older at the time of the alleged offense. Most of the time, a juvenile delinquency case begins with the parent/legal guardians being summoned by way of US mail to appear at the courthouse on a particular day and at a particular time.
When you go to the courthouse, you will be able to apply to have an attorney from the public defender's office represent you. If you are not eligible for a public defender, then you and/or your parents can hire a private attorney to represent you.
The most important thing to remember is that generally, although being charged with a crime is a serious matter, whether you are under the age of 18 or an adult, being in juvenile court is not necessarily the end of the world. Most of the time, a juvenile has simply gotten off track and needs help to get back on course. It is important to remember that both the judges who preside over juvenile court hearings and court staff want the juvenile to get back on course and succeed.
Still, you want to treat a juvenile delinquency charge as a serious matter. You may want to discuss your options or rights with a private attorney, especially if you do not qualify for a public defender. I'm not going to pretend, even for a minute, that I am the most experienced attorney out there when it comes to juvenile delinquency, but I will listen to you, and will help you navigate through the juvenile court system as best as I am able.
WARNING: The information contained in this blog post does not constitute legal advice and may not be applicable to your situation. Tim is licensed to practice law only in Minnesota, and the information contained in this blog post may not apply to jurisdictions outside of Minnesota. Further, reading this blog post does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Baland Law Office, P.L.L.C. You should always discuss your situation with an attorney before taking any action based on what you may read in this blog. To that end, please call (763) 290-0445 to set up an appointment to discuss your situation.
Most of the time, the hearing and Court file are confidential, although certain parts of the file may be public knowledge if the person was 16 years of age or older at the time of the alleged offense. Most of the time, a juvenile delinquency case begins with the parent/legal guardians being summoned by way of US mail to appear at the courthouse on a particular day and at a particular time.
When you go to the courthouse, you will be able to apply to have an attorney from the public defender's office represent you. If you are not eligible for a public defender, then you and/or your parents can hire a private attorney to represent you.
The most important thing to remember is that generally, although being charged with a crime is a serious matter, whether you are under the age of 18 or an adult, being in juvenile court is not necessarily the end of the world. Most of the time, a juvenile has simply gotten off track and needs help to get back on course. It is important to remember that both the judges who preside over juvenile court hearings and court staff want the juvenile to get back on course and succeed.
Still, you want to treat a juvenile delinquency charge as a serious matter. You may want to discuss your options or rights with a private attorney, especially if you do not qualify for a public defender. I'm not going to pretend, even for a minute, that I am the most experienced attorney out there when it comes to juvenile delinquency, but I will listen to you, and will help you navigate through the juvenile court system as best as I am able.
WARNING: The information contained in this blog post does not constitute legal advice and may not be applicable to your situation. Tim is licensed to practice law only in Minnesota, and the information contained in this blog post may not apply to jurisdictions outside of Minnesota. Further, reading this blog post does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Baland Law Office, P.L.L.C. You should always discuss your situation with an attorney before taking any action based on what you may read in this blog. To that end, please call (763) 290-0445 to set up an appointment to discuss your situation.
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