Guttenberg Juvenile Defense Lawyer

Contact Our Jersey City Office To Speak To A Former Prosecutor Who Served As Director Of The Juvenile Unit

Knowing your child is being held by the police in Guttenberg for shoplifting, drug possession or other criminal offense is upsetting, but you need to act quickly because your child’s future is at stake. Criminal offenses committed by children are handled as juvenile delinquency in the Family Division of Hudson County Superior Court where a judge could remove your child could be removed from home and placed in a detention facility. Depending upon the seriousness of the offense, the case could be transferred to criminal court where your child would be treated the same as an adult offender. Your child needs the caliber of legal representation that only an experienced and dedicated juvenile defense lawyer can provide.

The New Jersey criminal lawyers at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall are seasoned defense attorneys and former county and municipal prosecutors with more than 100 years of collective experience passionately defending the rights of children and teens charged under the New Jersey Code of Juvenile Justice. Their knowledge of the laws and the procedures unique to proceedings in the Juvenile Part of the Hudson County Courthouse Hudson County Superior Court make them formidable advocates a parent can count on. Call us now at  201-309-0500 where one of our juvenile defense attorneys is available at all hours of the day or night to discuss your child’s case with you during a free initial consultation.

Understanding Juvenile Offenses in Guttenberg

Some of the common offenses committed by Guttenberg children and teens that could lead to your child being detained by police and charged with juvenile delinquency include:

A juvenile delinquency charge can be filed under the New Jersey Code of Juvenile Justice, which can be found in N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-20 through N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-92, as long as your child has not turned 18 years of age. Children charged with juvenile delinquency can be taken into custody by the police, but your child has the right to a hearing before a family court judge to determine if the child should remain in custody.

Our juvenile criminal defense attorneys understand the importance of getting your child released from custody as soon as possible. They put in the time needed to becoming thoroughly familiar with the facts of the case and information about your child to be used in an effort to persuade the judge presiding over the detention hearing to allow your child to return home. If our initial application for release from detention is not successful, we continue our efforts at the next hearing. Teenagers at least 14 years of age can have their cases waived to an adult criminal court where the emphasis is on punishment as opposed to juvenile cases in family court where the focus is on rehabilitation. Some of the serious or violent criminal offenses that can result in a prosecution request for waiver to adult court include murder, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault (second degree), Kidnapping and aggravated arson.  The prosecution waiver request must be ruled upon by a family court judge. Judges have discretion to retain family court jurisdiction over the case. As with detention hearings, our attorneys prepare to challenge waiver requests by putting together evidence demonstrating that your child’s chances of rehabilitation are better served by retaining the case in family court rather than allowing waiver to adult criminal court.

Disposition of Juvenile Cases in Guttenberg

If your child’s case in family court results in an adjudication of delinquency, which means the prosecution has proven the allegations, the next stage is disposition where the judge determines how to accomplish rehabilitation. Some of the options include:

 Diversion programs

 Release to parents

 Restitution

 Mental health or substance abuse treatment and counseling

 Academic or vocational programs

 Confinement to a secure juvenile facility operated by the state

 Probation supervision

 Community service

We argue in juvenile cases for the services best suited to achieving rehabilitation, including diversion programs that could keep the case from going through the usual process in family court. For example, the Juvenile Conference Committee (JCC) is a panel that holds an informal meeting with your child and other parties with an interest in the case. The panel recommends a course of action that could include community service, restitution or counseling. If your child satisfactorily completes the conditions recommended by the JCC, the juvenile delinquency case would be dismissed.

Guttenberg Juvenile Criminal Attorney

When your child is in trouble, it is essential to immediately contact a Guttenberg juvenile defense lawyer at the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall. Quick action on our part is important to achieving the best outcome for you and your child. Call us now at  201-309-0500 where an attorney is available at all hours of the day and night to discuss your child’s case during a free initial consultation.