4 Reasons to Retain a Juvenile Defense Attorney in Illinois

 Posted on February 09, 2021 in Juvenile Crimes

If your son or daughter has been accused of a crime, he or she will probably need to face trial but not in an adult criminal court. For minors ages 17 and younger, DuPage County has a robust juvenile court system. They take every crime committed by young people very seriously. From relatively minor crimes such as theft or traffic violations to much more serious offenses like underage drinking, DUI, drug possession, and sexual assault,  juvenile offenses in Illinois have the potential to threaten the future of your son or daughter’s life.

Fortunately, in Illinois, despite a strict juvenile court system, the objective is still rehabilitation as opposed to punishment. Nearly everyone involved in the process is looking to help the accused get back on track after the follies of their youth or other lapses in judgment attributed to immaturity as a young person. However, that is not to say that your son or daughter should not have the appropriate representation from a juvenile defense attorney during their trial. Here are some reasons why the right lawyer during a juvenile defense case is critical.

Why Having an Attorney Matters

If you hire the right lawyer to represent your son or daughter in juvenile court, you and your child can benefit in the following ways:

1. Case dismissal—By using similar strategies as those available in adult cases, including procedural arguments if the arresting officers or prosecution make some missteps during the arrest or trial, your juvenile defense attorney may be able to get the case dismissed.
2. Negotiation of a favorable plea deal—If your juvenile defense lawyer is especially knowledgeable about these charges and the juvenile court system in general, he or she will be familiar with the people and procedures involved with these cases, making it much easier to negotiate a plea deal. This can protect your child’s future in many ways, from enabling them to finish out the school year to keeping the criminal records off their employment or college applications.
3. Eventual expungement—A skilled juvenile defense lawyer will be available for the eventual expungements of criminal records, further protecting your child’s future when they grow up to be law-abiding citizens who merely made careless mistakes when they were younger. This will help their professional career, their academic career, and their financial well-being, among other things.
4. Advocacy for leniency or other creative resolutions—Experienced juvenile defense lawyers know of innovative ways for your son or daughter to serve out their punishments in the spirit of rehabilitation. For instance, consider the many educational programs and volunteer work opportunities that they might be able to participate in, including counseling, drug or alcohol treatment programs, and community service.

Contact a Wheaton IL Juvenile Defense Lawyer

Teenagers frequently make bad decisions, but more often than not, these bad decisions do not have to define them for the rest of their lives. Silly mistakes from youth can remain in the past and stay inconsequential or they could ruin your children’s lives. A good way to ensure the better of these outcomes for your son or daughter is to hire an experienced and knowledgeable DuPage County juvenile crimes defense lawyer. With more than 30 years of experience working on juvenile court cases, Stephen A. Brundage, Attorney at Law, has the knowledge necessary to figure out how to protect your son or daughter’s future from any mistakes they make today. Call 630-260-9647 for a free consultation and discover how Stephen A. Brundage can help you and your son or daughter.

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ChapterID=50&ActID=1863

https://lawecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1574&context=facpubs

https://www.dupageco.org/Courts/LocalCourtRules/2658/