How to Keep a Juvenile Charge Out of an Adult NJ Court
There are many significant differences between criminal charges filed against juveniles and charges filed against adults. Juveniles facing criminal charges would be well advised to have a skilled New Jersey criminal defense attorney on their side that will fight to keep the case in juvenile court.
While adult court cases are built around the concept of crime and punishment, juvenile courts serve to rehabilitate young offenders so they don't return to a life of crime. In other words, juvenile courts allow more opportunities to perform community service and go through treatment programs instead of detention or incarceration. There are a number of factors that determine whether a case will be heard in juvenile or adult court.
Factors that could affect where a court case is heard include: the age of the offender, the severity of the charges, and his or her criminal history. For example, a juvenile who has committed a non-violent offense, has a clean school record, and has never been in court before has a good chance of keeping his or her case in juvenile court. Someone who has a history of offenses, is almost 18 years of age, and has committed a juvenile violent crime will most likely be treated as an adult.
A skilled attorney will want to be involved early on in the process. In some cases, it is possible to negotiate a plea before the case ever goes before a judge. That is why it is important to get a skilled attorney on the case right away. The experienced NJ juvenile crime defense attorneys at Lependorf & Silverstein have a long history of protecting the future of our young clients. If your child is facing criminal charges in New Jersey, please contact us at (609) 240-0040 to obtain more information about building a defense.
