What You Need to Know When Your Teen Gets Arrested
Posted June 10th, 2015 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Criminal Defense, Family Law.
>We love our children and in our minds, we all believe that they are perfect angels. But that’s not always the case. And just like adults, they can get in trouble with the law. When your teen gets arrested, it may not be the best time in your family’s life. You may be angry at your child and worried about what’s going to happen next. How will this impact their future?
You have every right to worry about their future. A criminal record can affect your child’s chances at getting a good job or even going to college. But before you get into panic mode, here are five things you should know about juvenile criminal defense in New Jersey:
- Your teen could be charged as an adult if the crime he/she allegedly committed was a violent crime, such as a homicide, or has prior charges. If this is your child’s first offense and the crime is not that severe, chances are he/she will be tried in Family Court.
- If your child is arrested, he/she will be taken to a detention center for juvenile, not the county jail. Usually, the police do not hold a teenager in custody unless the crime is violent.
- If your teen is being questioned about a certain crime, a parent or guardian must be present at the time of questioning.
- If your teen is convicted of a crime, the punishment is generally less severe than that of an adult committing the same crime. The reason being is the juvenile system is more interested in rehabilitation over punishment.
- Unlike adult records, juvenile criminal records are usually sealed. When a juvenile reaches a certain age and has kept his/her record clean, an attorney can start process of expunging the record.
If your teen gets arrested, contact juvenile criminal defense attorney Anthony Carbone straight away. He has more than 25 years working in the juvenile court system and know how to help your child get the best defense. Contact us today.
