Juvenile Crime: Don't Let One Mistake Damage the Life of Your Child

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), delinquency case rates generally increase with the age of the juvenile. In 2008, U.S. law enforcement agencies arrested approximately 2.11 million youths under the age of 18. Unfortunately, the issue of juvenile delinquency is becoming more complicated and many crime prevention programs either don't exist or are unequipped to deal with the problem. In addition, as more and more concerns are raised about youth violence, a greater number of adolescent offenders are being handled in the adult criminal justice system. If your child has been charged with a juvenile crime, your first step should be to contact a qualified juvenile defense attorney to ensure your child's rights are protected.

Juveniles vs. Adult Offenders

The United States does not have a universal juvenile justice system; the laws differentiating between juvenile and adult offenders differ state-by-state. The main difference between the treatment of juvenile and adult offenders is that the juvenile court system focuses primarily on treatment and rehabilitation, while adult criminal courts are predicated on punishment. However, in more serious cases, a juvenile may be transferred to adult criminal court and tried as an adult, depending on the age of the offender, offending history, and the severity of the offense. Although many states indicate a minimum age for transfer averaging between ten and fifteen years old, nearly half of U.S. states do not specify a minimum age. In some states, there are statutory exclusion laws in place which dictate specific offenses for which prosecution as an adult is mandatory. Furthermore, as of January 2010, two U.S. states prosecute all 16- and 17-year-old juvenile offenders as adults.

Juvenile Delinquent Offenders

There are a number of circumstances dictating whether a youthful offender will be tried in juvenile court or adult criminal court, many of which vary depending on the state. If the prosecution charges an older juvenile with a particularly serious or violent offense, the prosecuting attorney may request that the juvenile be tried as an adult. An offender aged fifteen, sixteen or seventeen, for example, may be tried as an adult if they are charged with a violent crime like assault, arson or rape. Other examples of crimes which may lead juveniles to be tried in adult criminal court include:

Violent Crimes
Robbery
Homicide
Weapon's possession
Larceny/Theft
Vandalism
Auto theft
Burglary
Drug and Alcohol Violations
Drug possession
Liquor law violations
Drunk and disorderly conduct
Drug abuse
Intent to sell drugs

Juvenile Status Offenders

There are also certain offenses which apply only to juveniles and not to adults, called status offenses. In other words, these acts may be considered illegal when performed by individuals under a certain age, while remaining legal for others. Common status offenses include truancy, running away, curfew violations, incorrigibility, and underage alcohol consumption. Juvenile status offenders are distinguished from juvenile delinquent offenders in that the former offenders have not committed an act that would be considered a crime if it were committed by an adult, while the latter have.

Legal Help for Juvenile Offenders

When a minor commits a crime, they are often tried and sentenced by a court system separate from that which tries adult offenders. There are also separate institutions designated for juvenile offenders, called juvenile detention centers. After a juvenile commits a crime, it is up to the juvenile court to determine the degree of risk the juvenile poses to society, as well as the benefits incurred by incarceration in a juvenile detention center. Even though juveniles are typically treated differently than adults when charged with a crime, they still have the same rights. If your child has been charged with a juvenile crime, it is critical that you ensure your child's rights are protected. Don't let one mistake negatively affect the rest of your child's life; contact an experienced juvenile defense lawyer today.

For more information regarding juvenile crime, contact a juvenile criminal defense attorney. Andrew Sarski is a freelance author specializing in writing about legal matters.

Juvenile Crimes and the Criminal Justice System

If your son or daughter has been arrested for a crime, then you are probably very apprehensive about your child's future. Unfortunately, even the best kids can get mixed up with the wrong crowd. You may be wondering what to expect if your child was arrested, will they be returned home to you? Will they have to go to a detention facility?

What are juvenile crimes? They are crimes that are committed by a person who is under the age of 18. Juveniles can commit the same crimes as an adult, the difference is that the criminal justice system has more faith in America's youth then they do in their adult counterparts.

The juvenile justice system aims to rehabilitate child offenders, as opposed to imposing severe penalties. However, if the crime was especially heinous or violent, then the offender may be tried as an adult. When this happens, the minor will face the same penalties as an adult would.

Children and teens can commit the same crimes as adults such as: assault, battery, drug crimes, sexual assault, rape, vandalism, grand theft auto, theft crimes, burglary, manslaughter and murder. However, there are certain types of crimes that are naturally associated with minors such as underage drinking, underage DUI, and using a fake ID.

As a parent, you would want your child's case to be handled through the juvenile courts, as opposed to the adult courts. If your child's case is handled through the juvenile system, they would be handled with a rehabilitative approach, and would be much more likely to avoid incarceration, or would at least be returned to you in a shorter period of time. If they are tried as an adult, they could face the same penalties that an adult would face for the same crime.

When your son or daughter is arrested, they will either be kept in custody, or they will be returned to you. Whether or not they are kept in custody will be based on a number of factors including: the nature of the crime, their potential threat to themselves, their potential threat to others, whether or not they are a flight risk, and the need for them to appear in another jurisdiction.

Whether their case is handled through the juvenile or the adult courts will be based on the violent nature of the crime. Especially violent cases such as murder or violent gang-related crimes may be diverted to the adult courts. It's extremely important to make every attempt to keep your child's case from going to the adult courts. Every effort should be made by your child's attorney to obtain alternative sentencing and rehabilitation so they can experience the least amount of penalties possible. If your son or daughter was arrested for a juvenile crime, contact a skilled and compassionate criminal defense lawyer today!

The Law Office of Randolph D. Toscano, PLLC is proud to represent the residents of Scottsdale, Arizona. Their criminal defense firm has extensive experience in handling all types of misdemeanor and felony crimes. Whether you are facing a bench warrant, a kidnapping or murder charge, or if you are a parent in need of representation for your son or daughter, they are prepared to fight on your behalf. They will thoroughly investigate your case and challenge the evidence against you. Their goal is to help their clients obtain maximum satisfaction in the charges against them. They will make every effort to get the charges against you reduced or dropped where possible. Take action now by contacting a Scottsdale criminal defense attorney at the firm by calling (877) 748-7978.

Juvenile Delinquency and Underage Crimes

Juvenile Delinquency in Florida

Juvenile delinquency is a sad part of the American legal system. When youth start down the wrong path it is imperative that steps are taken to get them back on track. Juvenile delinquents miss important experiences that their crime-free peers will enjoy, such as completing school in a timely manner and other staples of youth.

What leads young people to commit crimes? The most common theories are that youth commit these offenses when they are bored, and especially when they are influenced negatively by peer pressure. Some studies look to influences from their parents and older siblings as possibly influencing youth to perform illegal acts.

No matter the cause, when a youth commits a crime and is punished for it, they suffer. While almost any crime can be committed by someone underage, there are quite a few crimes that stand out as those that are most often the reason a young person is being referred to the juvenile court. These crimes are usually addressed with a service requirement, a fine, or possibly detainment within a juvenile facility.

Most Common Underage Crimes in Florida

· Youth taken into the legal system are most often charged with misdemeanor theft.

· Similarly, for all the juveniles that were brought in on felony charges a majority were accused of a burglary felony.

· Out of drug offenses, misdemeanor marijuana referrals are the most common reasons for youth being brought to court.

In the state of Florida delinquency prevention programs targeted at the youth appear to be making a difference. Although the overall population of underage Floridians has increased, the juvenile crime rate has decreased across the board.

Youth Crimes That Have Decreased

· Felony and misdemeanor narcotic offenses.

· Sexual assault

· Aggravated assault and battery

· Auto theft

· Murder

· Armed robbery

The Florida public is less likely to be affected by a juvenile crime today than it ever has been in the past ten years. This positive trend leaves hope for the future.

For More Information

Juvenile delinquency in Florida is decreasing. But that does not mean it is not still a concern. When youth enter a path of crime there is a good chance they will never leave it and will end up being incarcerated as an adult. To prevent more crime from happening in the future there needs to be support for preventing youth initiated crime today. For more information on youth laws, juvenile delinquency and the criminal system, visit the website of the Boca Raton criminal lawyers of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.C. today.

Joseph Devine

On Juvenile Crime, Causes, and Prevention

Juvenile crime is a blanket term that refers to any of a number of criminal acts which are perpetrated by minors. While adult crime is typically well understood from a criminal psychology perspective, the range and causes of juvenile crime are a bit more vague in terms of our understanding.

In any case, juvenile crime poses a unique threat and responsibility to society to address and prevent before it can cause devastating consequences.

Some of the most common forms of juvenile crime are vandalism, harassment, drug use and sales, as well as gang related violence and battery.

While researchers do not agree upon the causes of juvenile crime, there are a number of risk factors which are associated with statistically higher incidence and dangers for a given community of youths to engage in juvenile crime.

Some of the major risk factors which have been found to increase the danger of juvenile crime are poverty, and the presence of drugs and drug related violence in a particular community.

Domestic violence within the home is also a significant player in many lives of juvenile delinquents. Exposure to violent streets which already suffer from gang violence have also been found to play a significant role in increasing the incidence of juvenile delinquency in a particular area.

Compounded with easy access to fire arms, exposure to violence in the media, as well as an unstable family environment, the risks for juvenile crime become exceedingly significant.

While many people expect the state to address the issues of juvenile crime, the expected effectiveness of a state sponsored program is not high concerning the prevention of crime, but rather it is focused on the rehabilitation of delinquents after criminal acts have already been executed.

Since juvenile crime begins in the home, it will only be prevented at the societal level. Close knit societies can influence and address the problems facing the youth in a particular area and give them the support they need to reject negative peer pressure.

Part of preventing juvenile crime is by giving youths a suitable substitute to the gang mentality.

That being said, some of the more common state run projects to preclude juvenile crime are state sponsored youth initiatives as well as drug abuse education.

Along with these activities, the state also diverts a substantial amount of tax monies into supplying and maintaining correctional facilities whose focus is the rehabilitation of minors involved in juvenile crime.

No matter what the primary cause of juvenile crime is, the fact remains that it is a significant issue that we need to address as a society.

Only by the fair address of juvenile crime at the community level can we take the steps required to win over the disenfranchised youth.

Elia Levi is a retired engineer.
He built a website to assist with a step-by-step Home Surveillance Guide to understand, design, select and set up, all by yourself the best and least expensive Surveillance System for your Home Security.
Read more on the subject of this article at Juvenile Crime