We frequently serve as attorney in Juvenile Court on cases of Delinquency, Child Neglect or Abuse and Children in Need of Assistance or Supervision. We represent both children or their family members. If ever an attorney is needed, it’s in Juvenile Court where children and their families are often faced with life altering decisions of great consequence. Often we encounter cases within one or another of the many juvenile courts within Maryland and D.C. and before much else is done, we offer our clients and their families with a complete and carefully presented explanation of the juvenile court system, its differences with the adult court and its many important procedural distinctions in stark contrast to the adult system.
Simply put, a case in the adult court is often handled in a far easier and smoother, less involved manner than would almost always be the case for the same offense but when brought against a juvenile and charged within the juvenile court system. Juvenile court – unlike adult criminal court where punishment is always the first and foremost goal – is intended to address the issue of rehabilitation and child/youth services. Juvenile court provides a kid with a great opportunity to escape completely the trauma and lasting stigma that frequently follows the entry of adult criminal conviction. Make no mistake about it, however, only competent and skilled counsel experienced and proven in juvenile laws and juvenile court will be best positioned to insure your child is treated as the law intends and not as a younger adult accused of criminal conduct.