Juvenile Defense Lawyers MI
Compassionate Juvenile Crime Attorneys
Is Your Child Facing Juvenile Delinquent Charges? Call Now for Help!
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.
In the event that your child is faced with juvenile delinquency charges, retain an attorney immediately, and be sure to question that attorney about his or her knowledge of the juvenile court system in Michigan.