The Top Cases Handled by a Juvenile Defense Attorney in West Palm Beach
A juvenile case is anyone under the age of eighteen. Usually, when a juvenile gets into trouble, the court system recognized their youth, and their mistakes. Courts focus more on the rehabilitation of the child, rather than the punishment. Society wants to see the youth succeed, to be given a second chance, and to create a luminescent and promising future.
There are a few common situations that juveniles can get into, which a juvenile defense attorney in West Palm Beach can assist with. According to Global Youth Justice, theft takes the number one spot as the most common crime among juveniles. This includes shoplifting or stealing personal property. Another frequent juvenile case is built upon the misuse of alcohol as a minor. Young people can attempt to purchase or consume alcohol, which can lead them into a lot of trouble as time goes on. Minors can also have the alcohol supplied for them, and be caught with possessing an open container in public; from water bottles at school, to local fairs and festivals. Furthermore, juvenile students can get into bad situations on school grounds or in openly public areas by aggressively fighting, indecent exposure, graffiti, or disturbance to any type of personal property.
Drug and tobacco charges are unfortunately a frequent topic of juvenile cases. Statistically, more students use marijuana as of 2016 than they do cigarettes. That ratio is presumed to have increased over the last year. Then, there are the drugs we often don’t think about as being a threat to young ones. As alcohol can be supplied to minors, so can prescription drugs. Prescription drugs kill more teens than heavy drugs like cocaine or heroine – combined. Though these may seem small to young people at the time, the effects of their actions can be detrimental to their futures. The fifth most common juvenile offense is vehicle related. Youths driving without a license or taking a family member’s car out for a spin without consent is yet another way to end up at juvenile court. This action is incredibly reckless and dangerous, not only to the child, but also to the others involved, or to others in passing.
At Patrick R. McKamey, our juvenile defense attorneys in West Palm Beach know how stressful it is having your child in trouble with the law, and we also know that guiding a young person onto the better path is always the best outcome. We strive to make sure that happens, as we know how important that is to both their future, and the future of your family. Juvenile cases are different from charges as an adult, which means that having an expert in this field can make a big difference for the success of the child’s case. Our goal is to rehabilitate young people, giving them the second chance they deserve, and the peace of mind every parent dreams of.