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913.971.0296Juvenile drug charges are given in order to help troubled youths recover from mistakes they have made. This type of charge is very different from adult drug charges, which are meant to punish a criminal offender but the penalties are still severe. Drug crimes are very prevalent among youths today. Marijuana being one of the leading drugs seen in the youth population. In fact, 92% of arrested juveniles who test positive for drugs, test positive for marijuana and 14.4% test positive for cocaine. There are shocking statistics comparing juveniles who have been arrested to those who have not been arrested.
The rate of juvenile drug crimes is increasing for both females and males. In a five year study regarding the juvenile justice systems, out of 2.4 million juvenile arrests, 19 million involved substance abuse. Of those 19 million, only 68,600 received substance abuse treatment.
Juveniles are punished with rehabilitative measures as consequences for
their actions, rather than being sentenced in prison. The state is able
to hold juveniles accountable for their behavior in order to allow them
to live a more responsible life in the future. If the rehabilitative measures
fail, however, the juvenile offender can be sentenced to a juvenile correctional
facility. While a child is not legally eligible to receive a conviction
in court, an adjudication for a crime may stay on a child's permanent
criminal record for the rest of their life. There are even times when
District Attorneys change a child to adult status if they are an older
child and then they are able to prosecute them with an Extended Jurisdiction
Juvenile Prosecution (EJJP). The EJJP allows the court to give a child
two sentences: one as a juvenile and one as an adult. If the violation
is considered substantial in court, the adult sentence can be invoked,
leading to prison time.
There is a lot at stake when it comes to juvenile drug crimes; juvenile adjudication can stay on your child's record for life. You need to take action right away to ensure that your child has the best opportunity of maintaining a clean criminal record. With help from our Olathe juvenile crime lawyer, your child might be able to stay out of juvenile hall and take part in different community service programs instead.
Contact Garretson & Toth, LLC for a free consultation if your child has been arrested for a drug crime. We have 57 years of combined experience aggressively defending our clients and enforcing their rights, help us help you by calling today!