Boynton Beach Juvenile Delinquency Lawyer
Like most states, Florida has a separate court system for minors known as the juvenile justice system. Unlike adult criminal justice, juvenile justice is still largely based on the principles of rehabilitation. A person who is technically still a child—unable to vote or have the typical rights and liberties afforded to adults—is also considered not fully culpable for deviant acts.
Of course, serious crimes in Boynton Beach involving violence or death might be considered differently, depending on the case. But these are extreme situations, and generally the courts try to intervene early in the child’s life to prevent minor incursions from escalating into more serious crimes. For this reason, the juvenile justice system takes delinquency seriously.
If your child has been acting out, whether simple acts of truancy or grand larceny, you need to contact Demand the Limits now. The reason you want a private attorney on your side is simple: an attorney can ensure that your child’s record is expunged, if possible, and also ensure that the penalties are fair and match the crime. Without a good attorney, your children could suffer undue consequences that could haunt them the rest of their lives.
Why Juvenile Justice?
The point of the juvenile justice system is to help children get back on track and live safe and healthy lives. Many of the kids that get messed up in the juvenile system are genuinely good people born into unfortunate circumstances. They might come from a broken or abusive home, or have mental health issues you knew nothing about before they started misbehaving.
Until the mental health system in the United States improves, it is inevitable that the first symptoms of mental health problems might manifest as deviant or criminal behavior. Children with mental health issues need help, and the juvenile justice system does have built in options for counseling and rehabilitation services. This is particularly true for young people who have been brought in for drug-related offences.
No Judgment
Our Lawyers are not here to judge you or your child. In fact, our lawyers are here to protect you and your child from further harm. The way the juvenile justice system works is completely different from the adult courts. Forget all you have seen on television; when your child has been charged with something, they are not automatically going to jail or to a juvenile detention center.
A large number of judges in South Florida want to divert children away from detention centers, which are known to be gateways to patterns of delinquent behavior. Most children need help and opportunities for self-improvement, not incarceration. It is widely believed, even from the state’s point of view, that diverting children to drug counseling, community service, victim restitution, probation, and other less invasive or alternative sentencing will be the best thing for everyone.
Prevention is the Key
With juvenile justice, prevention and rehabilitation are the two primary goals. Rehabilitation refers to the array of services, resources, and programs that can help your child learn better coping mechanisms for stress, or to unlearn bad habits they might have picked up by hanging out with the wrong crowd.
Prevention refers to a similar set of resources, services, and programs designed to recognize at-risk youth, and provide age-appropriate interventions for them as needed. Of course, it is best if the preventative services occur before the young person commits a crime or deviant act, but even after the first offense, the consequences might be preventative in nature. The goal is to prevent the young person from ever doing something like that again.
Our lawyers in Boynton Beach advocates on your behalf and on behalf of your child. You can learn about opportunities for rehabilitation, community service, counseling, and other means of diverting your child from detention centers and other invasive and harmful methods. The state does partner with schools, faith-based organizations, and other community agencies. Our lawyers will help show you what your options are and how to access them.
Help—My Child Has Been Arrested
If you are a parent and your child has been arrested, you have a right to panic. But don’t worry, you are not alone. Calling Demand the Limit is the first step in getting you the help you need. The first step in the process is to understand what the intake process entails. Each case is going to be different, depending on the nature of the offence, the age of your child, and whether this was his or her first offence. Our attorneys can clarify all these issues for you and let you know what is at stake and when to take action.
If your child has already been placed in a juvenile detention center, there is still a lot you can do to help. It is critical that you act now, to provide your child with the services they need for early release, for rehabilitation, and for the possibility of clearing their permanent record.
Many children are left behind in Florida’s juvenile system, treated as if they are lost causes. The state can be cruel, and the system might seem rigged against you. If you are feeling powerless, don’t—call us now. Our lawyers help people like you and your children to stand up to a system that too often runs roughshod over your rights.
Tough on Crime
The political climate in Florida has always veered towards “tough on crime” policies, which are great in the sense that the public does need to have ample protection against violence and infringements on their rights. At the same time, these types of policies can cause more harm than good. The most important way tough on crime policies can be detrimental to society is the way children have been treated. Children—even adolescents—have malleable, impressionable, growing brains. The science substantiates the fact that an adolescent cannot be held fully accountable for his or her actions, which is why there still is a separate juvenile system.
In spite of this, the courts have on occasion been harsh with children, even for relatively minor offences and non-violent ones too. Public safety does not need to be a conflicting goal with rehabilitation, which is why recent changes to Florida’s juvenile system are promising. Call a lawyer now for a free consultation. Find out about your child’s rights, explaining the details of the situation.
Your Child Needs Help
Juvenile delinquency is a cry for help. Yes, there are “bad seeds,” but even kids who seem intractable are still deserving of second chances and early intervention. Often, parents are simply unaware of how the system works and had no idea there were programs available through the state that can help their children get back on track and avoid a harmful permanent record.
Having a juvenile criminal record is not the end of the world. However, it could hurt your child’s chances of getting into college or securing a job. When a child is supported by parents, backed by a lawyer, and treated by counselors, he or she can cultivate new behaviors. Call our Boynton Beach Juvenile Delinquency Lawyers @ Demand the Limits for a consultation and help your child get back on track.