Juvenile cases can be complicated, especially when your child has been charged with a serious crime. To help guide you through the process it would be beneficial to hire a Broward County juvenile defense attorney who can defend your child’s rights.
At the point of arrest, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice will immediately evaluate the minor through a screening process. The screening process is performed to determine whether or not the minor is a potential risk to the public. If the Juvenile Assessment Center determines that the minor is not a risk to the public’s safety he or she will be released into the custody of his/her parents or guardian.
If the center determines that the minor is a risk there are 2 possible courses of action:
- Secure detention – the minor will be sentenced to remain in a physically secure detention center until his/her court date. Once the minor appears in court it is up to the judge to decide if the minor should be placed in continued detention. Secure detention has a maximum limit of 21 days for regular offenses. The maximum could increase to 30 days if your child has committed a serious offense. Serious offenders may ultimately be placed in a residential correction facility if deemed necessary by the court.
- Home detention – if the minor is evaluated and sentenced to be on home detention status, they are released from any type of formal correction facility and instead are released to their parent or guardian. Both the minor and parent/guardian must sign a Home Detention Agreement that outlines the conditions that must be followed pertaining to school attendance, curfew, etc. as determined by the court.
Get Legal Help from a Broward County Juvenile Defense Attorney
If your child is facing criminal charges in Broward County, your legal team is your best defense. The defense team you choose to represent your child in court, defends your child’s rights and could be the difference between jail time and getting on with his/her life. Contact a Broward County juvenile defense attorney at Falk & Ross today to discuss your child’s case – 877-663-5110.