New Jersey Juvenile Crimes Lawyer
Criminal Defense of the Crimes of Minors
A juvenile is young person. When young people are charged with a crime in NJ there are different rules that apply and a kinder set of words used by the courts. If you are a juvenile, or the parent or guardian of a juvenile, who has been charged contact the experienced lawyers at Cores & Associates to evaluate the case.
Juveniles are not arrested… they are taken into custody. Rather than being convicted, juveniles are adjudicated delinquent. This is in line with the general philosophy of the NJ Court system which is to understand and rehabilitate minors when possible, but to also punish when appropriate. Juveniles may also be entitled to a deferred disposition. This means that they will have a chance to have the charge erased if certain conditions are met.
There are consequences when there is an adjudication of delinquency. There may be jail time, fines, and as with any ‘conviction’ there will be a permanent record of the act. This will likely have an impact when the juvenile later applies for any type of license, to college, or even to be in the military. Additionally, if the minor is later charged or convicted of a crime, the judge make look at the juvenile record.
For more information, please contact the experienced attorneys at Cores & Associates for a confidential consultation here or at (732) 414-6669.
Juvenile Crimes are the Same as Adult Crimes
The crimes are the same. Whether the alleged offense is a DUI/DWI, Theft, assault, drugs, or any other crime, an individual under the age of 18 may be charged in the juvenile system. However, with more serious crimes a minor may be tried in adult court. The penalties are more serious. It is important to have an experienced attorney like the criminal defense attorneys at Cores & Associates. If you have questions about being charged as a juvenile or an adult contact us for a confidential consultation.
Deferred Disposition
With juvenile crimes, we can try to seek a deferred disposition. This second chance may give the juvenile a path to a better future. Our attorneys will discuss whether this is an appropriate option based on the facts and circumstances of your case.
If you receive a deferred disposition and comply with all of the judge’s orders, then after the set time period, the charges will be dropped. The entire case is stricken from the court records. There may be different requirements imposed by the court, which may include working with a probation officer, community service, drug testing, etc.
Most Juvenile Crimes are Handled in the Family Part of the Superior Court
Generally, juvenile crimes are handled in the Family Part and your case will be assigned to the family judge who handles juvenile cases. If you are charged with a traffic offense or a more serious crime, then the case will be heard in a different court.
For juveniles between 14 and 18, the prosecutor can seek to have the case waived to adult court. Also, the attorneys for a juvenile can ask that the case be moved to the adult court. This may be a strategic move if the juvenile had a previous bad experience with the family part judge. Generally, this is for more serious crimes such as: sexual assault, firearms crimes, murder, or armed robbery.
It is important to note that juvenile cases heard in adult court are always heard by the judge, not a jury. Also, they do not have the right to a grand jury. Additionally, the Supreme Court held that it is cruel and unusual punishment to apply the penalty of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole in juvenile cases tried in adult court.
It is important to have an experienced attorney like the criminal defense attorneys at Cores & Associates. If you have questions about being charged as a juvenile or an adult contact us for a confidential consultation.