Juvenile cases
When your son or daughter has been charged
Juvenile court is meant to help young people get back on track, but it still has hearings, deadlines and a record. We walk a family through all three.
Rufina Pinder handles most of our juvenile cases. She meets the young person and the parent, apart and together, explains who will be in the room, and gets them both ready for each hearing. The young person is our client, and some of what they tell us stays between us. Parents still help plan every step.
What we help with
Intake and detention hearings
School discipline that follows a charge
Keeping a case in juvenile court
Sealing the record once it’s over
Step by step
How a juvenile case usually moves
- 01
Step 1: Intake
An intake officer decides whether the case goes to court or is handled another way. We can be there for that meeting.
- 02
Step 2: Detention hearing
If your child is being held, a judge decides within a day or two whether they can come home. We ask that they can.
- 03
Step 3: Adjudication
This is the juvenile version of a trial. We challenge the evidence just as we would for an adult.
- 04
Step 4: Disposition
If the judge finds the charge proven, we propose a plan built around school, home and support, not detention.
What people ask about juvenile cases
Can I be in the room when my child talks to the lawyer?
For some of it. Your child is our client, so some conversations are private, but you’re part of the planning and we’ll keep you informed.
Will this follow my child to college or a job?
Juvenile records are more protected than adult ones, and many can be sealed later. We’ll tell you which steps make that easier.
Can the case be moved to adult court?
For some serious charges, yes. If that’s possible in your child’s case, we’ll explain it at the first meeting and argue to keep it in juvenile court.
Call us before the first hearing
Tell us your child’s age, the charge and the hearing date. We’ll explain what happens in that room.