San Bernardino & Riverside Juvenile Crimes Defense Attorney

Juvenile Criminal Defense Lawyer in the Inland Empire

In California, the Juvenile Court System is designed to handle matters associated with juvenile law, called juvenile delinquency cases and juvenile dependency cases. Juvenile delinquency cases concern charges of a criminal law violation by a "minor" (defined as a person under the age of 18.) At the Law Offices of Mark R. McDonald, the firm handles cases relating to criminal juvenile law charges.

Juvenile Court Proceedings

Whether in juvenile, family, probate, or dependency court, the juvenile is entitled to the right to be represented by a lawyer, the right to present witnesses on the juvenile's behalf, and the right to subpoena, confront, and cross-examine witnesses, the right to a public hearing, the right to present evidence, and the right to appeal.

If your son or daughter has been charged with a juvenile crime in the San Bernardino area, please contact the San Bernardino and Riverside juvenile crimes defense lawyer at the firm for a consultation. He understands the negative impact that a juvenile criminal conviction can have on your child's life and future. He offers personalized service to juveniles and their families at this critical juncture in their lives and has a wealth of criminal law experience to apply to your case.

Juvenile Crimes

The juvenile justice system has a different goal than the adult justice system: treatment and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Because of this, the state's juvenile justice system has a broad array of methods and programs for addressing juvenile crime, taking into account the severity of the offense and the background of the offender. These include fines, treatment programs, detention, incarceration, and community supervision. Generally, the system provides for escalating responses to offenses of increasing severity, such as informal probation, formal probation, detention, and incarceration. Additionally, because the system has a goal of rehabilitation, many more agencies have a role to play in California's Juvenile Justice System than in the adult system, including schools, social service agencies, and community-based organizations.

The Juvenile Justice Court gives police, probation officials, and the District Attorney broad discretion over the treatment of juvenile offenders. Upon arrest, the police can release the juvenile to his or her parents or take the alleged offender to juvenile hall.

The state legislature has recently modified the juvenile law (Proposition 21) so that a minor can be transferred from juvenile court to the adult court and tried as adult in specified serious or violent felony cases, even if the minor is as young as 14. In most juvenile crime cases a judge will determine when it is appropriate to make such a transfer, however, in certain serious juvenile criminal cases the prosecutor may directly charge a minor in adult court.

A minor accused of a juvenile crime should retain an attorney for all proceedings in the juvenile court. And a minor is not entitled to a jury trial in juvenile court, only to an "Adjudication" (trial) in front of a judge. Though the burden of proof is the same for a minor in juvenile court as it is in adult court, that is, proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the minor committed the crime; the family of a minor accused of a crime should always consult with an attorney as the consequences can be serious and life-lasting.

Let Our San Bernardino & Riverside Juvenile Crimes Defense Lawyer Help.

The San Bernardino and Riverside juvenile crimes defense attorney at the firm has helped many juveniles charged with crime. In fact, more than 75% of all retained cases are dismissed. The firm serves San Bernardino, Riverside, and the entire Inland Empire. It is vital not to let a minor be convicted of a charge that can later be used as a "strike" under California's "Three Strike Law." Even though a minor's record is sealed to outside people, a prior offense such as a robbery by a minor can be used as a strike in a future proceeding in some circumstances.

Contact the San Bernardino, Riverside and Inland Empire Juvenile Crimes Defense Attorney at the firm for a consultation today! Consultation is free.