Category Archives: Juvenile Law
Will A 17-Year-Old Be Charged As An Adult In Florida?
Every parent knows that teenagers can get themselves into trouble. According to data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, there are more than 30,000 arrests made of minors annually in Florida. What happens when a 17-year-old is arrested? Will they be charged as an adult? As a baseline, the answer is “no”—however, prosecutors… Read More »
Was Your Teenager Arrested In Central Florida? Four Mistakes To Avoid As A Parent
Teenagers can get themselves into trouble. An arrest of a teenager could lead to serious long-term consequences in Florida—especially if a teen is facing certain types of criminal charges. Florida has a specialized process for juvenile justice. Parents need to be ready to help their kid navigate the system. In this article, our Orlando… Read More »
What To Know About Underage Drinking Charges In Florida (Minor In Possession)
It is no secret that many teenagers consume alcohol. According to data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), seven million American young people—ages 12 to 20—report that they have consumed a significant amount of alcohol within the past 30 days. While it may not be rare, that does not make… Read More »
What To Do If Your Child Gets Arrested In Central Florida
It is no secret that children can get themselves into trouble. According to data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), nearly one million minors enter the juvenile justice system each year nationwide. For parents, there are very few things more stressful than finding out that their child has been arrested…. Read More »
Can A Court Order Me To Pay Restitution If My Child Commits A Crime?
While prison is often the form of punishment that concerns criminal defendants the most, it is worth noting that jail is not the only way a court can hold an offender accountable for their actions. Florida law authorizes a court to award restitution–i.e., financial compensation–to the victims of any criminal act. The prosecution must… Read More »
Can My Child Be Arrested For “Trespassing” On School Grounds During A Suspension?
Florida’s juvenile justice system often puts minors between a rock and a hard place. While minors lack the legal ability to make most decisions for themselves, they may still find themselves in trouble due to the actions of their parents. Unfortunately, certain criminal laws may impose liability on a minor even in a situation… Read More »
Supreme Court Pulls Back on Constitutional Protections for Juvenile Offenders
The United States is the only country on Earth that allows individuals to receive sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for crimes committed as juveniles. Although several individual states have banned this practice in recent years, Florida and many other states keep “juvenile life with parole” on their books. And due… Read More »
Widespread Corruption and Abuse in Florida’s Juvenile Justice System
In July, four juveniles and one employee from Florida’s Walton Academy for Growth and Change—a facility run by a company known as Rite of Passage for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice—were arrested and charged for “lewd and lascivious battery” and false imprisonment of a minor at the facility. Sadly, this is not the… Read More »
Florida Teen Suicide Raises Questions about Charging Minors with Cyberbullying
In January, two Florida students were charged with cyberstalking (i.e. online bullying) in connection with the death of a middle-school student who killed herself earlier that month. While police are still investigating the exact cause of death, reportedly, once police were made aware of potential cyberbullying, they insisted upon closely examining cellphone and social… Read More »
Tampa Forum Highlights Much-Needed Reforms for Florida’s Juvenile Justice System
On December 11th, a criminal justice reform forum was held in Tampa, with a focus on changing the way Florida treats juvenile offenders. Florida currently sends more children to prison than any other state, where many of the punishments they meet do not fit the crime. Just since 2009, more than 14,000 minors have… Read More »
New Report Demonstrates That Florida Counties Are Still Arresting Juveniles Too Frequently
A new report released by a coalition of nonprofits that work on civil rights protection reveals that there are still a number of concerning criminal justice issues when it comes to Florida’s treatment of juveniles. Specifically, three-quarters of Florida counties earned an “F” in relying on alternatives to arresting juveniles for minor crimes (i.e…. Read More »
“Our Criminal Courts Are Failing Juvenile Defendants”
A recent article in The Nation highlighted a disturbing trend of juveniles not obtaining the criminal defense services that they need and are entitled to under the U.S. Constitution. According to a new analysis, these young juveniles are often left to navigate the legal system on their own after being denied access to a… Read More »
Teens Need Criminal Defense Lawyers Too
It surely does not come as a surprise to anyone, but teens get in trouble too. A joke can be taken too far, or a prank can result in damages. While the nature of juvenile charge may seem benign, the repercussions of a juvenile conviction can have life-altering consequences. Across the state of Florida… Read More »
Juvenile Shoplifting Charges in Florida
Unfortunately, many teens tend to “dabble” in illegal activities, one of the most popular of which is shoplifting. Categorized as petty theft and burglary under Florida Statute, Chapter 812, juvenile shoplifting is considered a criminal offense for which the offender can face juvenile charges. If found guilty, the juvenile offender then becomes a juvenile… Read More »
When a Child Might Be Charged As an Adult in Florida
According to the Marshall Project, Florida leads the nation in charging minors as adults, and transfers on average 164.7 out of every 100,000 juvenile cases to the adult courts. From 2010-2015, over 12,000 minors were transferred to face adult charges, with a whopping 60 percent for non-violent crimes – including drug and marijuana possession… Read More »
Defenses to Buying Alcohol for a Minor in Florida
Contributing to the delinquency of a minor in Florida (CDM) is a very serious charge that comes with very serious consequences, especially if your contribution is in the way of alcohol. Buying alcohol for a minor is not only illegal, but it comes with a unique set of risks. For instance, if the minor… Read More »
An MIP Can Negatively Affect Your Future: How to Drop the Charges and Learn From Your Mistakes
Underage drinking is a pervasive problem in the United States, with over 10.8 million minors contributing to the nation’s overall alcohol intake. Each year, approximately 5,000 individuals die as the result of underage drinking, with the cause of death ranging from DUI crashes to suicides, falls, burns, and other accidents. In Florida, underage drinking… Read More »
Florida’s Juvenile Justice System
Florida’s criminal justice system treats children and teens differently from adults. If your child is charged with a juvenile offense, he or she will enter Florida’s juvenile justice system. The Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) focuses on rehabilitation above punishment. Read on for an overview of the juvenile justice process. Juvenile Court proceedings The… Read More »
The School-to-Prison Pipeline
The American Bar Association’s website tells the story of a 14-year-old student who threw a pen out a bus window, hitting a car. Although you might expect such behavior to warrant a trip to the principal’s office, instead, this boy was charged with a felony and taken to jail. In another such story that… Read More »
Can Schools Confiscate and Search Student Cell Phones?
The Pensacola News Journal reports that officials from West Florida High School in the Escambia County School District confiscated and searched a student’s cell phone after a disciplinary incident on a school bus. The phone contained no evidence of wrongdoing by the student, and the student’s mother questioned the school’s authority for its actions. … Read More »
Oops – Florida Legislature Accidentally (Temporarily) Legalized Sexting for Teens
As you are no doubt aware, “sexting” is the sending of sexually explicit messages or photos via cell phone. And when sexting involves images of juveniles, it is considered child pornography. Until 2011, minors sending nude photos of themselves to other minors could be punished under child pornography laws, subject to probation, jail time,… Read More »
What Happens When A Child Is Arrested Or Detained By Police?
On Monday, September 14, Ahmed Mohamed was arrested by local police in Dallas, Texas for bringing a homemade alarm clock to school. Mr. Mohamed built a clock out of a metal briefcase, a digital display, wires, and a circuit board. He brought it to school to show his teachers and when he showed his… Read More »
