As a society, we have acknowledged that children who are under the age of 17 are not as developed as adults and agreed, therefore, that they are less culpable for their actions. Nevertheless, a conviction for any type of offense can result in serious penalties, including lengthy jail sentences.
If your child is facing charges for any type of offense, it is important that you secure the services of a dedicated Fort Worth juvenile crime defense lawyer with the ability to properly handle the case. At Kearney Law Firm we have extensive experience defending young people across Texas against a vast array of serious criminal charges.
The Texas juvenile justice works differently from the adult system. Except in cases where the prosecutor is attempting to have a child certified to stand trial as an adult, juveniles go through a civil proceeding. There are rules about confidentiality in the juvenile system that seek to protect a child who is adjudicated for delinquent conduct does not suffer as an adult because of his or her prior mistakes.
If there is a possibility that the prosecution may attempt to charge your child as an adult, we will do everything in our power to keep the case in the juvenile system. If your child is facing jail time for a conviction in a juvenile case, we will advocate for rehabilitative programs as an alternative to incarceration.
We have experience defending juveniles in a variety of criminal cases, including:
- Underage DUI
- Drug possession and other drug offenses
- Theft offenses, including shoplifting
- Murder, assaults and other violent crimes
- Gang-related crimes
- Weapons offenses
- Sex crimes, including “sexting” and statutory rape
Protecting Your Child’s RightsIf your child has been charged with any type of criminal offense, contact our office to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our juvenile defense lawyers. We can be reached at 817.336.5600 or via email.