Juvenile Crime
The Juvenile Justice System is different than the regular criminal court system because the focus is on rehabilitating rather than punishing the criminal offender. In the majority of cases, an individual under the age of 18 facing pending criminal charges will be in the juvenile justice system. In a minority of serious cases, the State Attorney will bring the charges against the individual in adult criminal court, even though he or she may be under 18 years of age.
While juvenile court has a focus on rehabilitation, the financial and incarcerative consequences of a juvenile conviction can have long lasting effects on the juvenile and his parent. A conviction for a juvenile offense may result in two types of sentences: probation or commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
If the sentence is probation, the judge will imposes community service, drug or anger management counseling, or other conditions as part of probation. A sentence to DJJ can take one of four possibilities:
- Low risk programs that last from 30-45 days,
- Moderate risk programs that last from 4-6 months,
- High risk programs that last from 6-9 months, and
- juvenile prison that lasts from 18-36 months.
Contact a Tampa Juvenile Attorney Today
Contact a Juvenile Crime Attorney at Denmon & Denmon Trial Lawyers to discuss your criminal case. Call 813-554-3232 (Hillsborough) or 727-753-0049 (Pinellas or Pasco). Ask to speak directly to a criminal attorney.
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