As a parent, you want to do what is best for your children. You want to protect them, believe in the best of them, and create a future for them that is better than your own. That is all part of trying to be a good parent. And if your child is involved in a conflict with the law, the best thing you can do is turn the case over to a legal professional.
The juvenile justice system allows a licensed attorney to find solutions that will protect your child and potentially avoid harsh penalties. Still, there can also be significant and lasting penalties. Many parents wrongly believe that even if their child is convicted of a juvenile crime, the crime is essentially wiped away when the juvenile turns 18.
The reality is that a juvenile criminal conviction can have permanent consequences.
The decisions you make now when your child is involved with law enforcement can have an impact that lasts decades. It can affect your child’s ability to get an education, a job, a loan, or a home. It can be a factor in future arrests and seriously affect how law enforcement and prosecutors deal with your child.
At the law office of F. Clayton Tyler P.A., we provide straight talk and honest answers. We have repeatedly seen how a well-intentioned parent accidentally makes a bad situation worse by trying to fix things on their own. Whether you believe your child has done something wrong or not, the first thing you should do when your child is arrested is talk to a lawyer.
Without the proper advice of a trained and experienced attorney who has handled juvenile criminal defense cases, you can do more harm than good by trying to manage a juvenile arrest by yourself. For example, even if your child was only present but not directly involved while a crime was being committed, they can be charged with aiding and abetting and potentially face serious and lasting criminal penalties. If you or your child make the mistake of admitting to being present for the crime, even while trying to point out that your child didn’t take part, you may actually be confessing to a whole different charge.
Police know how to interrogate and ask the right questions to get you or your child to make incriminating statements. This is why it is so important to work with an attorney as quickly as possible and ensure that an attorney is present during questioning.
A polite but strong statement stating that you and your child will have nothing to say until an attorney is present can make all the difference in your case.
Don’t underestimate the damage that can be done if a juvenile is adjudicated as a delinquent. That record can be used against a person throughout their adult life and can be an aggravating factor if they are later charged with or investigated for a serious crime.
For information on our criminal and juvenile defense practice, contact us using our online form or call our office today at 612-333-7309 to schedule a free initial consultation and case review to discuss your specific case.