Juvenile Defense Lawyers MI

In Michigan, juvenile crimes are offenses committed by an individual who is under the age of 17, the penalties for which can often be as severe as penalties for adult crimes. Typically, criminal acts by a juvenile are considered acts of delinquency, because juveniles are not considered to be adults or criminals in the eyes of the law.

The procedures in juvenile court are different than they are in a normal criminal court. The first step of the proceeding is to appear at a preliminary inquiry in juvenile court. This inquiry is before a referee rather than a judge, and it is an opportunity for the juvenile to accept or admit responsibility for their actions, without admitting guilt, and enter into a diversion program. The goal of your juvenile defense attorney should be to keep your case in the juvenile court, because juvenile records are typically more likely to be kept confidential and because the sentencing is much more flexible. For more serious crimes, your child runs the risk of being “waived” into adult court and faces the likelihood of going to jail.