Juvenile Crime Law in Springfield

If your child has been involved in a juvenile criminal issue, it is easy to spend your time thinking about what you could have done as a parent to prevent it. Your time is better spent, though, supporting your child. Allow us to focus on the case for you - we will provide the best possible defense for your child's case and hope for the future.

Juveniles (minors under the age of eighteen years of age) can be prosecuted for the same crimes for which adults can be prosecuted. Although the goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate youthful offenders, most often probation officers, police and prosecutors are as aggressive in their prosecution of juveniles as they are of adults.

Some important differences do exist between the adult and juvenile justice systems. First, minors are not entitled to a jury trial under juvenile law. That means that a judge alone will hear the evidence and render a verdict. It is crucial that your juvenile crime defense lawyer have experience litigating cases before juvenile judges, so that your juvenile judge can be challenged if your lawyer feels that he may rule against the minor in a biased manner.

Second, a minor can be eligible for informal probation, which means that if he complies with a probation officer's plan of supervision, the charges will be dismissed after the probationary period. Finally, most parents are completely unaware that they can be held liable for monetary losses caused by crimes committed by their sons or daughters.

These are just a few of the reasons you will need to hire a skillful and experienced juvenile criminal defense attorney knowledgeable in juvenile law to defend your son or daughter. Most criminal defense attorneys concentrate their practice on adult cases and rarely practice in juvenile court. Because of this, they often lack the experience & knowledge to effectively represent children in juvenile court. Your child's freedom and record are too important to entrust to an inexperienced attorney. If your child is charged with a juvenile crime, contact our office for a free consultation. Kristin S. Jones and Brady A. Musgrave have an enhanced level of knowledge, skill and experience in juvenile law that can aid in your case.