A juvenile in the court system is defined as a person younger than 18 years of age who has committed a crime. The juvenile justice system was developed as a way to prosecute the criminal acts of children without exposing them to an adult court and prison system. It is also believed that juveniles have a better chance of rehabilitation, so the criminal law system is geared to do so. There are many special rules and procedures that accompany a juvenile justice case to ensure that a child is treated fairly, protected from adult criminals and has the opportunity for rehabilitation.
Crimes committed by the younger population are not uncommon, and the juvenile crime statistics show there are many different factors that comprise the minor criminal population in the United States.
Juvenile Crime Statistics
- 1 in 4 U.S. residents is under the age of 18;
- In 2009, more than 1 million juveniles were arrested for criminal activity;
- Of those arrests, 27% were younger than age 15;
- 49,900 arrests were made for aggravated assault;
- 31,700 were for robbery;
- 1,170 were for murder;
- The numbers of juvenile arrests for forcible rape were the lowest in 2009 since 1980;
- Between 2000 and 2009, the number of juvenile arrests for females increased 9%, while male arrests declined by 25%;
- 1 in 9 violent crimes committed in 2009 were attributed to juveniles;
- Between 2000 and 2009, the number of vehicle thefts by juveniles decreased by 61%;
- Arson is the most common juvenile crime with 44% of arrests attributed to those under age 18 made in 2009;
- Florida, California, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Louisiana had the highest number of juvenile criminal arrests in 2009;
- 44 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to treat juvenile offenders in the same way as their adult counterparts; and
- 1 in 5 juvenile criminals is held in a juvenile detention facility before his or her court date.
Some states and court systems hold the parents of a juvenile delinquent responsible for paying restitution or other fines. An experienced criminal law firm can work with you and your child or loved one to get him or her the best deal through the juvenile court, so that you can both move on with rehabilitation efforts and focusing on getting back on track. A juvenile criminal doesn’t have to grow into an adult criminal. With the proper representation, this type of situation can be a small mark on your child’s record instead of a life sentence.
Contacting a Criminal Law Firm in South Florida
If your child is facing criminal charges, a competent criminal law firm is your best defense. The defense team you choose to represent your child or loved one in court can be the difference between jail time and a chance to start over. Juvenile crime cases need to be treated specially by an attorney experienced in criminal law having to do specifically with children. Contact the criminal defense attorney team at Falk & Ross to discuss your case – 1-877-663-5110.