If your child is facing criminal charges, call a juvenile criminal defense lawyer in Montgomeryville, PA. If the police want to interrogate your child, tell them they must wait until your attorney is present. The state will not hesitate to use your child’s statements against them in court. The McKenzie Law Firm, P.C. will protect your child’s rights and help them move past this charge.
No one should have their life ruined by a mistake or error in judgment as a child or teen. That is why our attorneys fight aggressively for the rights of our juvenile clients. We push for alternative forms of justice such as community service and rehab. And we always work to keep your child’s case, no matter how serious, out of adult court.
To schedule a free, no-risk case evaluation, call our office today at 610-680-7842.
A juvenile can face charges for almost any crime an adult can be charged with. Plus, several crimes are endemic to minors, such as truancy and underage possession or consumption. At the McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., we have a long track record of defending juveniles against a wide range of charges. Whether your child faces minor or potentially serious charges, our team can help. We can handle any of the following and more:
The approach we take in defending your child depends on the circumstances of the case. First, if the crime is serious, we will petition to have the case tried in juvenile and not in adult court.
From there, we will determine if we can cast reasonable doubt on your child’s guilt. If so, we will gather evidence and poke holes in the state’s case, preventing them from satisfying the burden of proof.
Otherwise, we will fight for alternative means of justice and a clean record upon your child turning 18. What this means is, if successful, your child will not go to jail but will receive probation, community service, drug or alcohol education, rehab, therapy, or another such corrective measure. And as long as your child stays out of trouble, the charge will disappear from their record when they become an adult.
Pennsylvania law allows the state to try juveniles as adults for certain crimes. The adult court system is a different world from the juvenile court system. If convicted as an adult, your child could be looking at many years or even life in prison.
At what age can a child face adult charges in Pennsylvania? It depends on the crime and whether the state believes trying the child as an adult serves the public interest.
When a child of at least 14 commits a felony in Pennsylvania, the prosecution can ask for a discretionary waiver to move the trial to adult court. The court has “discretion” to decide if transferring the case serves the public interest. If the court thinks yes, and as long as the child is not in a mental institution, then the case could transfer to adult court.
In some situations, the state presumes trying a child as an adult serves the public interest. The prosecution thus receives a presumptive waiver to move the case to adult court. Here are the minimum ages and some of the crimes that result in a presumptive waiver:
The essential thing to remember is this: The state could try your child as an adult when they are just 14 years old. The McKenzie Law Firm, P.C. team uses every possible resource to make sure this does not happen.
What is at stake for your child here? It is more than jail time or a fine. Having a criminal record can imperil your child’s future in several ways, such as:
We use every resource we have to keep your child from facing these consequences. We petition to keep the case in juvenile court and then work to get the charges dropped or reduced. In the case of a guilty verdict, we work to have the record either sealed or wiped clean at age 18.
Our founder, David McKenzie, is a former criminal prosecutor. This gives him intimate knowledge of how the other side works and thinks in Montgomeryville. He will use this knowledge to anticipate the prosecution’s tactics and counter them.
We know this is a challenging time for you as your child faces what is likely the scariest experience of their young life. Our team is here for you and will do everything we can so that your child can handle this issue and get on with their future.
If your child is facing criminal charges, do not wait another day. Call a Montgomeryville criminal defense lawyer at the McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., to represent your child. We will do everything in our power to keep this issue from affecting your child’s future. To schedule a free consultation with a member of our team as soon as possible, call us at 610-680-7842.
