Watching a young man or woman facing criminal consequences for a bad decision or mistake they’ve made is heartbreaking. There is nothing more that the family and others involved would love more than to give them a chance to redeem themselves and get their life back on track. Most people would agree that it is better to work with the youth to help them overcome their issues and avoid the possibility of them becoming an adult criminal.
Fortunately, the Arizona juvenile justice system tends to have the same view. Arizona courts are typically more lenient with juveniles than they are with adults. There is a separate court system for youth offenders where the focus is more on the rehabilitation of the juvenile. This separate court shows Arizona’s recognition that young people haven’t completed the maturation process and may make bad judgements, which sometimes end with committing crime.
In most cases, the term “juvenile” applies to children under the age of 18. There are certain crimes in Arizona where someone under the age of 18 can still be tried as an adult. The penalties handed down in adult courts are much harsher than those given in juvenile courts. This is why it’s so important to get an experienced and aggressive Arizona juvenile attorney involved as soon as often. An attorney who has worked with juveniles in the past knows and understands the law and can help ensure the youth is tried in juvenile courts.
Your attorney can also play a major role in the sentencing stage of the trial. Arizona has several programs in place to specifically address juvenile delinquency. There are programs that would allow a juvenile offender to live at home and attend classes and workshops in lieu of jail or prison time. Having an attorney who knows more about these options and is familiar with requesting them in front of a judge helps to ensure the youth offender gets the best possible sentence.
There is always the hope that the youth who commits the crime will learn their lesson by going through the legal proceedings and gain a clearer understanding of the consequences should they continue to break the law. Naegle & Crider Criminal Defense Attorneys works to get the best possible outcome for the juvenile with a rehabilitation mindset. Our hope is that by working with you, your child or your grandchild, we can help make a change in the youth’s life for good.
To set up a free consultation with Charlie Naegle, an Arizona attorney for juveniles, give us a call today. We understand the desire to get things back to normal as soon as possible. A crime committed does not have to define a young person’s life.