East Brunswick NJ Juvenile Attorneys
Whether your child was arrested at East Brunswick High School, Churchill Junior High, Hammarskjold Middle School or somewhere else in the Township, a juvenile charge can cause turmoil. The initial feeling is usually one of shock upon learning that your son or daughter is in custody at the East Brunswick Police Station. The emotions that follow can be overwhelming but you need to keep yourself composed. You need to call an attorney for numerous reasons including the fact that they can insure that your child is protected and also because you have no ability to deal with with the criminal charge without counsel. The law in the State of New Jersey mandates that every juvenile defendant have an attorney and there is no discretion on the part of a parent to waive this right or to step into this role. You are required to have a lawyer so call one as early as possible before your child or you says or does something that can compromise the defense to the charge. At our firm, the Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall, our firm is filled with experienced defense attorneys, many of whom are former prosecutors. Our East Brunswick Criminal Firm is available for free consultations 24/7 at 732-227-1200.
Juvenile Charge in East Brunswick Township
The most typical offenses that juveniles face are drug possession, criminal mischief, simple assault, terroristic threats and burglary. Another large group of cases relate to juvenile driving offenses, like DWI, driving without a license, or violating one of the state’s restrictions on driving permits. Regardless of the offense, though, there are some things that are standard to all juvenile offenses. The first of these is, as previously stated, that the juvenile must have representation in Juvenile Court. The law does not permit a parent, family member, or some other non-attorney to appear on behalf of the child — he or she is required to be represented by counsel. It is also of note that most of these charges are not handled at the municipal level, but rather at Middlesex County Superior Court in the Family Division, which is located in New Brunswick.
The primary concern of your attorney, though, should be to see to it that your child does not end up in that detention facility and where the offenses are relatively minor, like misdemeanor shoplifting offenses, criminal mischief, or drug possession, such detention is unlikely. The second and almost equally important concern of your lawyer is to make sure that your child does not get a record that will follow them around for the rest of their lives potentially affecting their ability to gain employment and, perhaps even more important, gain acceptance into the college or university of their choice. In Middlesex County’s Family Court, a Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) recommends specific services for individual juveniles charged as delinquents and acts as an alternative disposition to detention. The Family Court MDT Coordinator refers youth for services, which can and often does include drug and alcohol evaluation and mental health evaluations, and maintains a database of clients and services. A popular alternative to detention that is offered in Middlesex County is the County’s “Clean Slate” program, which is a joint effort between the prosecutor’s office and police department to give juveniles a second chance. The program consists of six weeks of training, community service and a variety of other duties that are aimed at the goal of giving juveniles a second chance, as stated above, so that they can avoid a criminal record detrimental to their futures.
Juvenile Delinquency Offense Defense Lawyer in East Brunswick
If one thing is certain, it is always worth consulting with a juvenile attorney as soon after an arrest as possible. Experienced counsel can cutoff an interrogation or other efforts by police to implicate your child in a crime. A lawyer can also accomplish a considerable amount in terms of eliminating the uncertainty and stress that you are currently experiencing. So take the step of picking up the phone and calling our East Brunswick Law Office at 732-227-1200 for a free no obligation consultation.
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