San Bernardino County Juvenile Crime Attorneys

If your child has been convicted of a San Bernardino juvenile crime, it is an extremely serious matter, which could have long lasting adverse impacts on your son or daughter's life. It could negatively affect their opportunities to get a good job, admission in a good college or university or even get a driver's license. San Bernardino County juvenile crime cases can vary quite a bit. That's why it's important that each juvenile crime case is assessed in a timely manner so all legal actions can progress briskly and efficiently. If your child has been arrested on suspicion of committing a serious crime in San Bernardino, you should seek legal representation by a knowledgeable and skilled juvenile defense attorney.

Minors or individuals under the age of 18 who are charged with a crime are usually sent to juvenile courts, which are very different from adult courts. In a juvenile court, there is no jury. The judge hears testimony and arguments from attorneys and makes a decision based on the facts before him or her. This, however, does not mean that juveniles do not face consequences or get punished. On the contrary, if you son or daughter is convicted, he or she may even face life in prison, depending on the crime committed.

Juvenile courts primarily deal with two types of offenses. Status offenses are those crimes that would have been legal, but for the age of the defendant, such as possession of alcohol. Delinquency crimes are crimes committed by a minor that would remain crimes regardless of the defendant's age. Examples of these are robbery, murder, rape and so on. In some cases, prosecutors may decide to try the juvenile as an adult. What this means is that the case gets transferred to the adult court where the hearings are open to the media and the public. Juveniles also stand to face harsher punishment in adult court.

The skilled San Bernardino 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 incarceration. If your child is facing juvenile criminal charges in San Bernardino County, please call Wallin & Klarich for a free evaluation of your case.