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

Comments:

Vincent Palladino (UCLA) on December 9, 2009 at 1:09 a.m. wrote: When I lived in the Bay Area during 2006, I remember hearing the story of a young girl who was racing her car on Highway 101 and crashed into the SUV of two royal family members from Tonga, killing both of them and their driver. Although she pleaded not-guilty, the jury found her to be guilty to Ordinary Vehicular Manslaughter. I believe she was 18 years old at the time of the incident. I wonder if the sentence would have been any different if the eight in her age had been a seven.