16-Year-Old Arrested for Murder In Downtown

Posted on: November 13, 2011 at 6:36 a.m.

A 16-year-old high school student was arrested for murder after gunning down a classmate near the 3rd Street Tunnel in downtown Los Angeles. The young man, whose name has not been released because he is a minor, had reportedly had a dispute with another 16-year-old classmate during the day at Central High School, a continuation school both boys were attending. The two boys were reportedly members of rival gangs and met after school was done for the day in mid-October at the 3rd Street Tunnel to resolve their dispute. The victim was shot multiple times in the torso and taken to nearby Los Angeles County U.S.C. medical center where he died of his wounds. The shooter was arrested while still armed at the scene of the crime by a local policeman who happened to be passing by and saw the incident. The defendant was taken to Eastlake Juvenile Hall and is still awaiting trial.

As any experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney can attest, murder is a very serious crime, even for someone who is still a minor. The same Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney can also tell you that crimes committed by minors are often treated very differently from crimes committed by adults. Children even have a completely different court system to deal with their criminal behavior and the appropriate punishments. An experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney knows that the criminal justice system that deal with children typically approaches them more with an eye to rehabilitate rather than simply punish. In recent times, however, many politicians gain favor with constituents by enacting "tough on crime" laws that still affect minors profoundly. For example, the experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney knows that the state of California's tough "Three Strikes" laws have been applied to minors. Under Three Strikes laws, a person who commits three eligible felony criminal offenses can be sent to a state prison for life. These sentences can be applied to crimes as serious as murder or assault, as well as seemingly smaller crimes such as theft, vandalism or drug possession crimes. If your child has been arrested for a criminal offense, call the offices of Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today at 1-877-781-1570 to speak to a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney about your son or daughter's case. Our attorneys have decades of experience in defending children and teenagers against criminal charges of all types and we know how to provide you and your child with the aggressive, experienced legal counsel you need at an important juncture in your lives.

Tagged as: juvenile crime, juvenile law, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney

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Juvenile Crime Stats

Posted on: November 25, 2009 at 11:26 p.m.

Juvenile crime is a serious issue in Los Angeles, with many gangs utlizing young people who may have lost their way. Our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys actively represent all minors accused of Juvenile crime. Many of our attorneys have worked in Los Angeles district attorney's offices, which gives us a unique instight into Juvenile crime, criminal trials, law enforcement tactics and much more.

A new report by the County of San Diego revealed that arrests rates in the county have actually risen slightly over last year, in large part due to increasing numbers of minors being arrested for Juvenile crime. Unlike San Diego County, most other large counties in California, including Los Angeles, have seen a slight decrease in the number of arrests made over the last year. According to the San Diego Association of governments, adult arrests in the county rose just 1% while the number of minors being arrested jumped by 9%.

Many parents are under the impression that children under the age of 18 either do not commit or are generally not arrested for criminal acts. This viewpoint could hardly be farther from reality. While it is true that crimes committed by minors in Los Angeles are taken very seriously indeed by law enforcement agencies, it is also true that courts tend to focus on more rehabilitative punishments. In Los Angeles, minors are even subject to a completely different judicial system when they commit a crime, the Juvenile Court System. In some states this same court system may also be called Family Court or Probate Court. The focus of many punishments for juveniles convicted of a crime is reforming or reshaping the child’s behavior. Many people believe that with the proper counseling, younger criminal offenders are more likely to “straighten up," and go on to lead normal, law-abiding lives. Minors who commit more serious Juvenile crimes may actually be tried in the regular, adult court system depending on the nature of their crime and their age. Because minors can and do commit crimes ranging from shoplifting and vandalism to assault, sex crimes and even murder, punishments also vary widely. Probation, counseling, community service, and fines are frequently given in the case of a conviction. For more serious crimes, juvenile offenders may find themselves sentenced to time in a juvenile detention center or even an adult jail.

If your son or daughter has been charged with a Juvenile crime, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today. Our attorneys are experienced in dealing with juvenile crimes of all types and can help you navigate the often confusing Juvenile Court System. You would not give up on your child, and neither will we.

Tagged as: juvenile crime, los angeles criminal defense attorney

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