San Diego Juvenile Crime Lawyers

If your child has been charged with a juvenile crime in San Diego County, your son or daughter may be facing serious and devastating consequences that may haunt them for the rest of their lives. They may be looking at a lifetime of incarceration or a permanent criminal record. The purpose of the juvenile system is often times to rehabilitate young offenders to give them a second chance and a fresh start in life unlike adult courts that focus on crime and punishment. However, prosecutors don't take San Diego juvenile crime cases lightly. That's almost always true in case of serious offenses such as murder, attempted murder, assault or sex crimes. The charges, process and the penalties heavily depend on the nature of the charges and accusations faced by your child.

Juvenile courts deal with two types of offenses – status offenses and delinquency crimes. Status offenses are those offenses that would have been legal but for the minor's age. Examples of these offenses are possession of alcohol or driving without a license. Delinquency crimes are crimes committed by a minor that would remain crimes irrespective of the defendant's age, such as robbery, murder, rape and so on.

A child who is facing a criminal case is not entitled to a jury trial. A juvenile court judge or commissioner will adjudicate the case and determine whether the child is guilty or innocent. In all these cases, the burden of proof is on the prosecution (like any criminal case) and the prosecutor must prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the juvenile is guilty of the crime.

In some cases where the juvenile is 14 years or older, prosecutors may decide to try them as adults. Whether or not this happens depends on the nature and seriousness of a crime. When a juvenile is facing such serious charges, it is extremely important that he or she is represented by a juvenile criminal defense attorney because cases where juveniles are treated as adults spell serious consequences including lengthy prison time.

The skilled San Diego County criminal defense lawyers at Wallin & Klarich can help dismiss the charges against your child or help minimize the charges. Our experienced juvenile crime attorneys can help you clean up a juvenile record and make the best possible case to the judge so your child avoids significant time in lock-up. If your child is facing juvenile criminal charges in San Diego County, please call Wallin & Klarich for a free evaluation of your case.