Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys May Be Able to Limit the Drug Possesion Charges Pressed Against Your Juvenile Child
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Due to the rise of drug abuse among adolescents, juvenile drug possession is a major concern for all states. Even though most children are influenced to use drugs by fellow peers, television, music and movies, often the criminal courts hold the household responsible. A child facing drug possession charges could be put on probation, required to attend drug-counseling classes or, at worst, be removed from the home and placed in foster care or juvenile hall. If the offense is extremely serious, the juvenile can be held by the state until he or she is 25 years old and then transferred to state prison. It is important to hire a juvenile drug possession attorney as soon as your child is charged or investigated. If your child has not yet been charged, this is the best time to hire a juvenile drug possession lawyer so the criminal attorney may act as a buffer between the accused and any law enforcement that may be involved. If a criminal attorney is able to get involved immediately, there is always the possibility of agreeing on an informal resolution outside of the court room before charges are ever involved.
If you or your child is charged with juvenile drug possession, there are a number of phases that will take place. If the juvenile is close to becoming eighteen years of age, a fitness hearing may be held to determine whether the juvenile will be tried as an adult. If the child is not tried as an adult then he or she will go through the regular juvenile process. In most cases, a juvenile cannot be released on bail. A detention hearing will determine whether the accused is detained during further proceedings. After this phase, the jurisdiction hearing, the equivalent of a trial, will be convened where both sides are allowed to argue their case; however, in most cases juvenile drug possession is heard by a judge, commissioner or referee, not a jury. Similar to a sentencing hearing in adult court, a disposition hearing will then be held to determine what the final outcome of the case will be. Although all states do not have the exact juvenile criminal process, the majority adhere to similar procedures.
Experienced juvenile drug possession attorneys may be able to limit the charges pressed against your child by challenging the way the evidence was obtained. If the drugs were found on school property, often teachers do not know the proper protocol to search a student's belongings. If the school or officers conducted an illegal search our juvenile drug possession lawyers may be able to challenge the evidence obtained and get the case thrown out, or at least reduce the charge to a lesser offense. If we can do that, then your child has a better chance of seeing a less severe sentence.
We understand that often times juveniles who use drugs suffer from substance abuse problems and addiction. Placing the child in juvenile hall or under Youth Authority is not going to solve the problem. If anything, it will only make the child feel detached from society and increase his or her feelings of loneliness and disconnection that most likely spurred the youth to use drugs in the first place. An effective juvenile drug possession attorney will try to convince the judge that jail will not solve the situation; instead, perhaps drug counseling will best address the underlying concerns so that the juvenile is not detained by the state. If the court believes that detention is necessary, our juvenile drug possession attorneys will ask that the youth serve home detention so that he or she does not lose the crucial support of family and friends.
Many parents primary concern is their child's future. College, jobs, and many other areas of life can become difficult with a criminal record. With a child being under the age of 18, it is not fair to start their life at a disadvantage because of a criminal record. With so much on the line, Terani Firm's juvenile drug attorneys will do everything within our power to protect your child's future. An expert juvenile drug lawyer from our firm may be much more knowledgeable about the intricacies of the juvenile justice system than average criminal attorneys.
Call us at (888) 855-2447 immediately for a free consultation so that we may provide your family with help and guidance. Even if you cannot afford to hire a juvenile defense attorney, we will still do our best to help you.
If you want the best in knowledgeable legal representation & a criminal law firm that will treat your case with consideration and concern, please contact us 24/7 at (888) 855-2447 for a FREE confidential consultation.
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