Juvenile Delinquency Attorney Walnut Creek

Following the arrest of a juvenile, a law enforcement officer has the discretion to release the juvenile to his or her parents or take the child to juvenile hall. The county probation department (the agency responsible for the juvenile hall), has the discretion to accept and “book” the child or not – in which case, the disposition of the juvenile is left to the police. Because most of California’s juvenile facilities are overcrowded, juvenile halls may accept only the most violent juveniles – and turn away most other children arrested on lesser crimes.

Juvenile offenders face many possibilities, including:

• juvenile corrections
• detention
• probation

Don’t let your child face these consequences alone. Under California Penal Code §26, children under the age of 14 are not recognized as having the ability to “commit” a crime, so their cases are treated differently by the juvenile courts. But the child will still be subject to the Juvenile court, and can either be given probation, a light sentence, or the harshest penalty: removal from the family to a Juvenile Hall or Ranch.

It is critical you have an experienced Walnut Creek juvenile delinquency attorney at your side to advocate for the rights of your child, the best interest of your child, and the compassion to argue to get your child home or keep him or her out of custody. Your child has the right to a lawyer before being questioned – and to protect his or her rights.