How is being tried as a juvenile different from being tried as an adult?
If your son or daughter is younger than 18 years of age in Florida and they are charged with a criminal offense they will most likely end up in juvenile court. Juvenile court is different from adult court in that it is focused on the rehabilitation of the juvenile defendant. Adult court is focused primarily on punishment of the individual charged.
Juvenile convictions, or as they are called Adjudications of Delinquency, can affect a young person’s ability to gain future employment or get into college. It is important that you contact an experienced juvenile defense attorney so that your child can obtain a favorable outcome, preferably, where the charges do not end up on their record. As a former State Prosecutor, I was assigned for a period of time to the juvenile prosecution division. Our firm can help your son, daughter, or other loved one obtain an outcome to the juvenile charges that will not follow them around for the rest of their lives.