Protect Your Child's Rights
What happens if my child is arrested?
Juvenile Delinquency is defined as the violation of the law by a juvenile which if committed by an adult would be treated as a crime. The Juvenile Court system is quite different from the adult criminal system. If your child gets charged with a delinquent act, you may want to consider hiring a lawyer. Children alleged to be delinquent have the right to counsel under the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions. Once your child is charged, there will be a number of different hearings that you and your child will be expected to attend. And a juvenile record can affect your child's life forever. There are many different options for children when they are charged with a delinquent act, from informal adjustment and diversion to transfer to criminal court.
What are status offenses? Juveniles can also be charged with "status offenses", which are charged solely due to the child's status as a minor, like truancy, running away, and underage smoking and drinking.
When does the state have a right to make my child stay in juvenile detention?
As a general rule, children are not to be detained prior to their adjudicatory hearing. The Court must hold a detention hearing within three (3) days to see if your child qualifies to be held in detention prior to the adjudicatory hearing. Factors the court will look at to determine whether or not to hold your child in secure detention include whether or not your child is a danger to himself or the community and whether or not your child is at risk not to appear for future hearings on his or her charges.
What types of hearings will be held?
If your child is not detained after he or she is charged, your first hearing will be an arraignment hearing. The next hearing is a settlement hearing, which is then followed by an adjudicatory hearing. If your child decides to plead guilty or the Court rules that your child committed the offense, the Court will then make findings about what types of treatment or rehabilitation your child needs. One of my strengths is knowing how to negotiate with the District Attorney on your child's case. Unlike adult criminal court, Juvenile Court focuses more on rehabilitation than punishment.
What will happen if my child is found to be "delinquent"?
The court has a number of dispositional alternatives available for your child, including probation, placing the child in DCS custody, ordering restitution, or the performance of community service work.
If your child is adjudicated delinquent, that is not the same thing as a criminal conviction, but it can have a wide variety of consequences for both your child and your family.
Juvenile Delinquency is defined as the violation of the law by a juvenile which if committed by an adult would be treated as a crime. The Juvenile Court system is quite different from the adult criminal system. If your child gets charged with a delinquent act, you may want to consider hiring a lawyer. Children alleged to be delinquent have the right to counsel under the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions. Once your child is charged, there will be a number of different hearings that you and your child will be expected to attend. And a juvenile record can affect your child's life forever. There are many different options for children when they are charged with a delinquent act, from informal adjustment and diversion to transfer to criminal court.
What are status offenses? Juveniles can also be charged with "status offenses", which are charged solely due to the child's status as a minor, like truancy, running away, and underage smoking and drinking.
When does the state have a right to make my child stay in juvenile detention?
As a general rule, children are not to be detained prior to their adjudicatory hearing. The Court must hold a detention hearing within three (3) days to see if your child qualifies to be held in detention prior to the adjudicatory hearing. Factors the court will look at to determine whether or not to hold your child in secure detention include whether or not your child is a danger to himself or the community and whether or not your child is at risk not to appear for future hearings on his or her charges.
What types of hearings will be held?
If your child is not detained after he or she is charged, your first hearing will be an arraignment hearing. The next hearing is a settlement hearing, which is then followed by an adjudicatory hearing. If your child decides to plead guilty or the Court rules that your child committed the offense, the Court will then make findings about what types of treatment or rehabilitation your child needs. One of my strengths is knowing how to negotiate with the District Attorney on your child's case. Unlike adult criminal court, Juvenile Court focuses more on rehabilitation than punishment.
What will happen if my child is found to be "delinquent"?
The court has a number of dispositional alternatives available for your child, including probation, placing the child in DCS custody, ordering restitution, or the performance of community service work.
If your child is adjudicated delinquent, that is not the same thing as a criminal conviction, but it can have a wide variety of consequences for both your child and your family.
This website has been designed for informational purposes only. In no way should this information be interpreted as giving out legal advice. If you need legal advice, you need to consult with an attorney in person. No attorney-client relationship is formed by any use of the information provided herein.
