In the world of Juvenile Crimes and Criminal Defense, a Consent Decree is typically the goal of the criminal defense attorney. teen sexting As already discussed in previous blogs, the juvenile criminal system has some similarities to the adult court system, but generally the two are very different. The primary difference is that the juvenile system, through juvenile probation officers is centered around rehabilitating the defendant, whereas the adult system is centered on punishment. Since the juvenile system is centered around rehabilitation, the conduct of the juvenile defendant after he is charged is very important in terms of dictating what his ultimate punishment will be. One of the best types of outcomes is the Consent Decree. In most counties, a consent decree means that an accused will be placed on probation for a period of 6 months and so long as he or she performs well, he can have all of his criminal charges withdrawn. Once the charges are withdrawn, the juvenile can then have the charges expunged from his record.
If your child has been charged with juvenile crimes, it is a good idea to see if your child is eligible for a Consent Decree. adjudication Typically juveniles are eligible for consent decrees if they are charged with a misdemeanor, but they may also be granted a consent decree if they are charged with a felony so long as certain factors exist. Specifically, so long as the charges do not involve allegations of sex crimes and/or violent crimes, a juvenile may receive a consent decree. In order to receive this outcome however, juveniles frequently are required to admit to their crimes when they first meet with their juvenile probation officer. Accordingly, you should strongly consider contacting an experienced Chester County juvenile crimes attorney if your son or daughter has been charged with a crime in the juvenile system.