Adults are not the only ones who make mistakes that could possibly land them inside a courtroom. Minor children can also make judgment errors that lead to criminal charges. For a juvenile, there are many aspects of a criminal case that are different, making it vital that both the defendant and his or her parents understand the process and the potential outcomes. However, it is just as important that the accused juvenile and his or her parents are aware of how they can help, or hurt, the child’s case. Juvenile criminal defense is much different than a defense for an adult, even if they are accused of the same crime.

Speak Openly With Your Lawyer

A juvenile defense attorney will need a lot of information from the defendant in order to help represent him or her in court. While some things may seem inconsequential, such as the juvenile's grades in school or a learning disability, these details could mean the difference between spending time in juvenile detention or being sentenced to community service or behavioral therapy. 

Many people drink alcohol before reaching the legal age of 21. Some parents may let their teenagers try a sip of beer, or a person may have a drink at a party. While this can seem innocent in a safe environment, underage drinking can escalate and quickly become dangerous. Long-term effects of underage drinking include impaired cognitive and physical development, memory and learning problems, increased risk of abusing other substances, and alcohol dependence. Drinking under the age of 21 is a crime in and of itself, but it can also lead to various other crimes with serious consequences.

Juvenile Drinking Crimes

1. Drinking underage: The first crime is the consumption of alcohol by those under the age of 21. If a law enforcement officer sees the possession, consumption, purchase, or receipt of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21, the legal consequence will be a three-month suspension of driving privileges for court supervision, six months for a first conviction, one year for a second conviction, and license revocation for subsequent convictions.

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Relationship violence is not reserved for adult marriages. In fact, nearly 1.5 million high school students in America experience physical abuse from a dating partner each year. Although physical abuse receives attention, there are many other forms of abuse from which teens suffer. One in three adolescents in the United States is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner. The high use of technology has created new ways for boyfriends and girlfriends to abuse their partner.

Ways to Enforce Power and Control

Abuse has always been a means to have power and control over another person. By taking away the equality between both partners, the abuser can feel like he or she has the control in the relationship. The following are common abuse tactics used:

The juvenile justice system is supposed to be geared toward rehabilitation and learning rather than punishment. Although it aims to hold children 17 and under accountable for crimes they may have committed, juveniles are not typically charged in the same way as adults. In some extreme exceptions, children 15 and older can be charged as adults, but when that happens, it is typically because the crime committed was particularly egregious, such as murder or battery causing major bodily harm. Although a child may go into the system while under the age of 18, he or she can be held in a juvenile center up to the age of 20.

What Can Parents Do to Help a Child Accused of a Crime?

Know your rights and your child’s rights. Police should contact you immediately if your child has been arrested or taken in for questioning. They must legally tell you any charges your child is facing and where he or she is being held. You also have the right to an attorney, and you have the right to be present during any and all questioning of your child.

While it is widely known teens can be tried as adults in murder cases, they are sometimes tried in adult courts for drug violations or other crimes as well. Illinois is one of nine states in which anyone 15 years old and over could be automatically charged as an adult for certain drug-related crimes. 

Illinois also operates under a “once-an-adult, always-an-adult” law, meaning that if a juvenile has been charged as an adult on any crime in the past, they will be tried as an adult in every subsequent crime that he or she commits. It makes no difference what the crime is in this situation.