Los Angeles Juvenile Criminal Defense Attorney

Los Angeles juvenile criminal defense attorney Douglas Miranda understands the complicated, intricate legal issues that often emerge in juvenile cases as well as the consequences at stake in juvenile proceedings. While there are no guarantees in any particular case, when your child is accused of a crime, defense lawyer Douglas Miranda will work aggressively to have the charges reduced or dropped completely. If your child is facing legal issues in Los Angeles County or another area of Southern California, call the Miranda Rights Law Firm at once. Juvenile offenses carry some very serious legal and personal consequences that can impact a child for the rest of his or her life.

A BACKGROUND IN JUVENILE REPRESENTATION

A juvenile detention center is no place for a child, even those accused of crimes. Juvenile criminal defense lawyers have experience with the application of various laws in a case involving a minor. It’s imperative to seek the counsel of an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney if your child is charged with a criminal offense.

The California juvenile system is different from the adult system but just as confusing. Juvenile proceedings begin with an arraignment or detention hearing that must be conducted within 72 hours of the charge if the juvenile is in custody or within 15 days if the juvenile isn’t being held. The minor or the minor’s Los Angeles juvenile criminal defense attorney can request another hearing within three days to challenge the legal sufficiency of the charge. More hearings may be needed for the court to consider jurisdiction issues, examine the evidence, and determine if and for how long the minor should be detained. In particular cases, a court may permanently place a juvenile offender in an adoption program, refer the minor for legal guardianship, and even nullify the juvenile’s parents’ rights.

JUVENILE JUSTICE

When you become 18 years old, you’re able to vote, marry, and enter into binding legal contracts without anyone else’s permission. You don’t need an adult to sign for you when you’re 18 because you are the adult. While adulthood has its undeniable advantages, turning 18 also triggers some serious realities that should be seriously considered. The law treats you as an adult, although you don’t feel or think differently on your 18th birthday than you did the day before.

In California, anyone 17 or younger is legally a “juvenile.” California’s juvenile  justice system emphasizes treatment and rehabilitation, whereas the adult system predominantly focuses on punishment. However, in some cases a juvenile may be treated as an adult depending on the youth’s age and the nature of the crime. If this happens, the case will be moved to adult court, where defendants are under intense scrutiny and face harsher punishments. If your child 17 or under is accused of any crime in the Los Angeles area, immediately contact an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. California recognizes four categories of juvenile offenders; each of the four is handled somewhat differently.

• Informal probationers have committed minor offenses. They are placed on probation and usually diverted into substance abuse programs, mental health programs, crisis shelters, or other appropriate programs or facilities.
• Status offenders have committed offenses exclusive to juveniles such as curfew violation or truancy. Status offenders may be placed on probation and cannot be detained or otherwise held along with criminal offenders.
• Criminal offenders under the age of 18 are placed on formal probation and may be sent to a county ranch, camp, or California Division of Juvenile Justice facility.
• A juveniles 16 or 17 who commits one of more than thirty serious felonies, or a juvenile 14 or older who commits murder, will be tried as an adult. If convicted, and the teenager is 16 or 17, going to state prison as an adult is a real possibility.

Nothing could be more important than your child’s future. If your child is in trouble with the law, forgiveness and a second chance are all that most young people need. If your child has been arrested for committing any crime in the Los Angeles area, call an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who routinely handles cases involving juvenile defendants, and make that call promptly.

JUVENILE SENTENCING

There are many options for sentencing juveniles when they break the law in California but all options will include either incarceration or non-incarceration. It is safe to say that most parents want to see their child in a non-incarceration setting, even if they are guilty. It is in the best interest of your family to immediately seek the help and expertise of a Los Angeles juvenile criminal defense attorney.

While the courts do have the final say, having an attorney present will usually render the best outcome. If a judge decides that incarceration is the punishment for a teenager, know in advance that the confinement options for a juvenile are, in most cases, different from those of an adult. Judges most often choose:

• Home confinement/house arrest;
• Order the minor to live with a relative or in a group or foster home;
• Juvenile hall/juvenile detention facility (secured or not);
• Probation;
• County jail or state prison;
• Juvenile and adult jail (transfer when juvenile reaches 18 years old);
• Verbal warning;
• Boot camp;
• Monetary fines;
• Counseling;
• Community service; or
• Tether or other electronic device.

Lawyers who know juvenile law understand how it works and depending on your child’s past record can appeal a sentence handed down in criminal court or ask a court to modify an order if circumstances change. Juvenile judges will usually do what they can to better serve the juvenile’s needs and best interests. If you are the parent of a minor in trouble with the law talk to an LA juvenile criminal defense lawyer.

WE OFFER AGGRESSIVE JUVENILE DEFENSE

If your son or daughter has been arrested anywhere in southern California, Los Angeles  criminal defense lawyer Douglas Miranda can help. After assessing the case, Attorney Douglas Miranda will explain the legal options and work to develop the most effective possible defense. At the Miranda Rights Law Firm, we take our responsibility to our clients seriously, and we put our experience to work for you and your family. In addition to handling juvenile crime cases, our legal team can also assist with many other cases, such as white collar crimes, vandalism and theft, hit and run cases, sex crimes, grand theft auto, violent crimes and even murder.

To schedule a free consultation with an experienced Los Angeles juvenile criminal defense attorney, contact us today. Send an email, or call 213-293-1207. Se habla español.