Loitering is the act of being in a public place with no specific purpose – for example, wandering aimlessly around a store for an hour with no intention of buying anything. Young adults under age 18 can also stand accused of loitering if they are unsupervised in areas like a park. Learn what this offense…
Continue reading ›In California, public education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 18. The only exceptions to this law are homeschooled children, private school students or those with special needs. Children who miss too much school – and their parents or legal guardians – are breaking the law. Learn how our state…
Continue reading ›Under California law, children between the ages of 12 and 18 who get in legal trouble are juveniles. Getting involved in a fight is a typical way many minors find themselves on the wrong side of the law. After an altercation, a juvenile may be charged with assault. What Is Assault? You might assume “assault”…
Continue reading ›If your child is facing criminal charges, you may understandably be overwhelmed, frightened and unsure where to turn. While juvenile court cases share many similarities with adult cases, you should be aware there are some distinct differences. Knowing how to handle the ins and outs of juvenile court can significantly impact the outcome of your…
Continue reading ›When a juvenile offender is arrested in California and held in custody, they will have an initial hearing, where a judge will learn the circumstances of their case to determine whether they need to remain in detention. If a minor loses this detention hearing, they’ll most likely have to stay in juvenile hall until their…
Continue reading ›Many juveniles in California enter the criminal justice system due to drug possession. As you may imagine, these drugs include illicit substances like meth, heroin and cocaine. However, juveniles can also get arrested for possessing potentially dangerous controlled medications such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Xanax, which are illegal to use or distribute without a doctor’s…
Continue reading ›While youths under age 18 typically experience less severe penalties for committing crimes, some extreme offenses like murder and rape can lead juvenile court judges to try juveniles as adults. In California, minors as young as 14 can be tried as adults at a judge’s discretion. However, mounting evidence suggests this approach is harmful and…
Continue reading ›While many constitutional rights apply equally to minors and adults, like free speech and the right to have legal representation, other laws differ depending on the age of the person committing the criminal offense. How old is a juvenile? While this definition varies among states, California law considers juvenile offenders to be between the ages…
Continue reading ›Young people who commit illegal offenses before reaching legal adulthood are at risk of entering the world’s largest prison system, losing their freedom and ending up burdened with a criminal record that can threaten their educational and employment opportunities. In the U.S., thousands of people under the age of 18 get arrested in an average…
Continue reading ›If you have a juvenile record in California, you should know that it is open to the public. This documentation includes all the information about criminal activity you were allegedly involved with before you turned 18, including arrest and probation reports and court findings and rulings. Having a juvenile record can make it exponentially more…
Continue reading ›
