Juvenile Defense Lawyer
Protecting your child’s future is one the most critical things you can do if your child has been arrested for or charged with juvenile crimes in Arkansas. Sometimes in spite of your best efforts, children make bad decisions. They get caught up in the moment, experience peer pressure, and just don’t understand the ramification of their actions. They are not bad; they just make bad decisions. Getting a skilled, experienced and respected criminal defense attorney is essential. Whether you child has been charged with a violent crime, or a minor offense, getting quality legal representation to provide an aggressive defense for accused juvenile crimes should be priority number 1. It’s also important to remember that just because you child is under the age 18, it does not mean that their record will not follow them into adulthood and affect their employment, educational and financial prospects. Protect your child’s future now and contact Cearley Law Group.
If your child is under the age of 18 and facing juvenile criminal charges in the state of Arkansas, the information below will give you an idea of some of the consequences they may be facing.
What Constitutes Juvenile Delinquency in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, the delinquency lower age is 10 years of age while the delinquency upper age is 17 years of age, and they will face penalties based on the nature and severity of the crime.
Juvenile crimes fall into two categories:
Status Offenses are a noncriminal act carried out by a minor. It is considered a law violation because of age. Examples include:
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Truancy
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Running away from home
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Violating curfew
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Underage use of alcohol
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Underage tobacco use
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General ungovernability
Penalties for these types of juvenile crimes generally focus on rehabilitation.
Delinquency Offenses: An act committed by a juvenile for which an adult could be prosecuted in a criminal court, but when committed by a juvenile is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Examples include:
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Crimes against persons (assault, rape, battery, violent crimes toward a person, murder)
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Crimes against property (vandalism, theft, burglary, arson, trespassing)
Depending on the circumstances of the offense, your child could be tried as a juvenile offender or as an adult. It is rare that children are tried as adults in Arkansas due to its juvenile justice laws.
There are long-term consequences that can occur for juveniles who are convicted of crimes, however their record and be expunged or sealed in some situations once they turn 18 years of age. Doing so will allow much less of an impact on education, financial, and employment opportunities. Cearley law group can be instrumental in clearing your child’s record so they can have a bright future.
Stuart Cearley will do everything in his power to pursue a just outcome for your child’s case and to protect their rights as much as possible. To discuss the details of your child’s case, please schedule a FREE consultation with Stuart. Reach out today.
Juvenile Crime Statistics
The number of juvenile arrests and incarcerations have gradually declined over the past decade; however children continue to be arrested at alarming rates. In 1996, the number of arrested juveniles peaked at nearly 2.7 million and has been at a gradual decline since, resulting in the number of juveniles arrested being 74% lower in 2019, at just under 700,000 arrests.
Possible Consequences of Juvenile Conviction
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Barriers to employment - when youth seek employment, they may end up being turned away if a criminal record is revealed, nonetheless, having a criminal record can place seekers in very undesirable positions. Moreover, being out of the workforce for months or years while in detention, jail, or prison can place job seekers at a distinct disadvantage.
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Eviction and homelessness - in 2002 the Department of Housing and Urban Development went to the Supreme Court, affirming that residents could be evicted from public housing based on offenses of their relatives. Based on this law, a juvenile conviction could result in eviction of the entire family.
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Placement on the National of State Sex Offender Registry - every state has passed laws mandating the registration of sex offenders, and these registries are used widely to track the whereabouts of people convicted of sex offenses. After being added to the registry, offenders will face strict limitations on where they can live, attend school, or work. Anytime a person who is registered changes their location of residency they are required to notify the authorities and update their registration, failure to do so frequently results in incarceration.