Ventura Juvenile Crime Attorney

When a juvenile or someone under the ager of 18 is accused of a crime in Ventura County, he or she will most likely be charged in a juvenile court. If your son or daughter has been accused of a crime, you will need a lawyer who understands Ventura County's juvenile court system and provide an effective defense strategy. The juvenile justice system is quite different from the criminal justice system that adults go through. While the focus of the adult courts is trial and punishment, the goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate young offenders.

However, this does not mean that juvenile offenders will get off easy. They don't go through a trial per se, but cases against young offenders are aggressively prosecuted. At Wallin & Klarich, some of the areas of juvenile crime we handle include:

• Driving under the influence
• Drug crimes
• Assault and battery
• Gang crimes
• Theft
• Shoplifting
• Robbery
• Vandalism
• Sex crimes

Avoiding adult court procedures for a juvenile crime in Ventura County is extremely significant. In some cases, depending on the seriousness of an offense, prosecutors may charge a juvenile as an adult. If the case is moved to adult court, not only will a minor face adult penalties, but he or she will also face future problems due to a criminal record. Juvenile convictions are typically easier to have cleared from a criminal record, rather than having to go through the expungement process at a later date.

Ventura County juvenile courts deal with two types of offenses:

• Status offenses: These 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: These are crimes committed by a minor that would remain crimes irrespective of the defendant's age, such as robbery, murder, rape and so on.

The skilled Ventura County juvenile 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 Ventura County, please call Wallin & Klarich for a free evaluation of your case.