Juvenile Lawyer Los Angeles
A juvenile crime is any criminal act that is committed by a minor (person below the legal age of 18). All too often, juveniles and their parents assume that because the crime was committed by a minor, the minor will not be subject to harsh legal penalties if convicted. This belief is far from the truth. In California, all juvenile crimes are taken very seriously by law enforcement and are vigorously prosecuted. Additionally, if the juvenile is close to the legal age of 18, or has committed a felony offense, he/she may be charged as an adult, even at age 15 if its a serious or violent offense.
If a juvenile is convicted of a criminal offense, the court will usually focus upon rehabilitating the minor instead of punishing them. It is believed that juveniles can change their actions and delinquent behavior if they receive proper counseling and treatment. Due to the life-altering legal consequences that are involved, it is always best to obtain the services of a juvenile crimes defense attorney like Todd Melnik who has the legal background and knowledge it takes to successfully fight juvenile crime charges. His goal as juvenile crimes defense attorney is to preserve your child’s record so he or she can walk away from this experience with minimal long-term effects. Keeping young people out of the criminal justice system is crucial for preserving their future.
Young people often feel that no one will listen to them, especially not a lawyer. Mr. Melnik has many years of experience working with juveniles and always gives each minor and their case, the time, attention and focus they deserve.
Contact Mr. Melnik and discuss your childs case with him.
Has your child been charged with a crime? Have law enforcement officers approached you and your child about an investigation? Do not take any chances in your child’s future.
If your own child is arrested, DO NOT assume that “everything will work out okay.” The District Lawyer will most likely charge your own kid with a crime regardless of what you say to them! Whether or not your own child is guilty of a crime, he or she deserves to be dealt with fairly by both law enforcement officials and judges.
And in case you believe your own kid behaved wrongly and deserves suitable consequences, our office will work to make sure that your own kid is not punished too much or unfairly. Our law office has got a history of ensuring that your own kid’s self-esteem and welfare get the best consideration.
Our highly educated as well as knowledgeable lawyers are dedicated to assisting clients in a wide range of juvenile law related concerns. Juvenile cases come under one of two types of problems, which are outlined and described below. Our firm is proud in simply being one of the few firms in the area that have dealt with many juvenile cases and also thoroughly understand the juvenile court system in Los Angeles.
Dependency / Child’s Court Los Angeles
This particular area of juvenile law is geared towards dealing with situations in which kids happen to be taken off a parent’s care by a social worker or the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for a variety of causes. Our firm is dedicated to assisting individuals in Los Angeles seeking to gain back custody of their kids and protects all of them against abuse or perhaps neglect charges that may be associated in the case.
Delinquency
These types of juvenile law issues deal with criminal charges that are filed against someone under 18 years of age. Our Los Angeles attorneys have dealt with many delinquency cases in special courts which were developed specifically for juvenile delinquency issues. Some of these people might eventually be tried as an adult, nonetheless all of the issues involving minors begin in delinquency court. A fitness hearing is normally held to know if perhaps the kid is fit to stand trial in adult, or superior, court.
Juvenile law deals with criminal offenders, i.e., anyone who has not reached age eighteen at the time of their offenses, are dealt with differently than adult offenders. While each state’s juvenile case procedure is different, the following steps are common to most state juvenile justice systems: intake, consent decree, fitness hearing, adjudicatory hearing, disposition plan, disposition hearing, probation review hearings, and case termination. Aside from that, most states have laws and regulations that allow or call for juvenile records to be expunged when the juvenile grows to a particular age.
In many states, a minor has to be represented by an attorney. If you can’t afford an attorney, a Public Defender will be designated to represent the minor. You must complete an affidavit of your earnings and expenditures to qualify for a Public Defender. That is often a tough standard to meet.
A minor, for purposes of juvenile court is understood to be an individual who is under the age of 17 at that time the alleged offense is committed.
The purpose of the Juvenile Court Act is to help the juvenile, preferably in his or her own home, strengthening the family whenever needed or possible. The Juvenile Courtroom is a private, closed courtroom. As soon as you reach the assigned courtroom, you sign in with the Deputy Sheriff and are called into court privately. The only people in the courtroom will be the Judge, and his Clerk, the Deputy, a Court Reporter, Assistant State’s Attorneys and various juvenile probation officers.
If the minor decides to plead guilty, or is found guilty by the judge, the penalties for juvenile cases range from court supervision; probation, time in the Juvenile Detention Center or perhaps going to the State Department of Corrections Juvenile Center.
Several other areas of law under the Juvenile Court Act are:
1) Abused, Neglected, Dependent Minors
2) Minors Requiring Authoritative Intervention
3) Addicted Minors. Our practice is involved with juveniles who are charged under the Delinquency Section of the Act.
Being a mother or father is hard. Parenting teenagers is particularly frustrating. When your teen gets into trouble, it is often difficult to know how to carry on. Do you let the child sink or swim, or do you help?
In our law firm, we advocate for kids who have become involved with the juvenile justice system. Our law firm has long been assisting families for many years, giving our expertise and practical experience to bear on a broad range of juvenile matters. Our goals are straightforward: guide young people over the legal system correctly and land in a place where they can move forward with their lives.
We offer highly personal attention to young people and their parents. At our firm, we are able to spend the time necessary to know our clients and understand their circumstances fully. We do not practice cookie-cutter law but tailor our legal solutions to each person who comes into our office.
Given that youth behavior problems may affect the entire family, we know that guiding a teenager through the juvenile court system is not enough. Our lawyers frequently direct members of the family to organizations which can help them learn to deal with stress filled situations and find out helpful ways to communicate with one another.
It is important to have legal support and counsel immediately in the event that your own kid gets caught in the Los Angeles juvenile system. To schedule a no cost initial phone consultation with a Los Angeles juvenile lawyer, phone us immediately to talk about your own case.
Giving the Best Juvenile Defense
We are experienced and devoted Los Angeles juvenile criminal defense lawyers who have effectively dealt with many juvenile cases. We have worked with the local juvenile deputy district lawyer who are assigned to the District Attorneys Juvenile Branch.
We are seasoned juvenile criminal defense attorneys Los Angeles who are able to properly represent children accused of juvenile crimes including murder, attempted murder, car-jacking, armed robbery, hate crimes, assault and battery, car theft, drug possession and sales, DUI, rape, and molestation.
Most criminal defense lawyers focus their practice on adult cases and hardly ever practice in juvenile court. As a result, these criminal defense lawyers often don’t have the experience and understanding to successfully represent children in juvenile court.
Many of the rules and procedures in Juvenile Court are different than adult court. There is no right to a jury trial and there is no right to bail. Don’t get an unskilled juvenile defense lawyer Los Angeles. Your own kid’s freedom and future is at stake.
Our Juvenile Defense Attorney Los Angeles possesses an better level of knowledge, skill and experience in juvenile law. Few criminal defense lawyers have committed their practice to juvenile law. If you are a mother or father whose kid is facing a juvenile delinquency case, it is very important to get an knowledgeable juvenile defense lawyer to help your own child.
Since practical experience matters, contact juvenile criminal defense lawyer Los Angeles today for a Absolutely free consultation for all Los Angeles Juvenile Court matters.
