Ventura Juvenile Crimes Attorney

Has Your Child Been Charged with a Crime?

As a parent, being told your child has been charged with a crime can be extremely disturbing. Some juvenile crimes are age specific, such as smoking, truancy, gang involvement, driving without a license, and drug and alcohol use. Many other crimes that juveniles are charged with are the same ones that adults are arrested for, such as robbery, burglary, murder, sexual assault, physical assault, rape, auto theft, possession of a deadly weapon, and drug crimes. If your child is a minor, he or she will most likely be sent to a juvenile court. Though the emphasis in this court is more on rehabilitation as opposed to punishment, depending upon the crime and prior criminal history, your child could be facing jail time.

If your child has been charged with a crime, I am committed to keeping him/her out of juvenile hall through strong criminal defense, and at home in your care. I will fight to get the charges dismissed so that your child does not have a criminal record that will affect him/her adversely when starting out in life, pursuing a career, or attending college. I have many years of experience with the laws, procedures and language used in juvenile court, and will use that knowledge to provide a strong defense for your loved one.

The Juvenile Justice System

Prosecutors in this state are tough on juvenile crime. Proposition 21 increased penalties for juvenile offenders, ended informal probation for minors who were convicted of felonies, and created harsher sentences. It stated that juvenile offenders over the age of 14 could be tried as adults, and that if the youthful offender is over the age of 18, he or she would serve their sentence in the adult criminal justice system. As a former district attorney, I know the strategies the prosecution will use to try to convict your child.