Juvenile Offender

Most of us got in a little trouble when we were young. However, without proper representation, the repercussions from your child's criminal matter could follow them into adulthood. To properly protect their rights and guide them through the juvenile court system, you will need assistance from an experienced criminal defense attorney. Don Turner worked extensively in the juvenile court system.

Our legal team can watch over your child through every step of the process and make sure they have the guidance and protection they need. We have years of experience working with juvenile defense cases and our criminal defense lawyers aggressively fight for each minor’s rights.

Contact us today for a free consultation and see how we can help you with your child's criminal case.

In Georgia, you qualify as a juvenile if you are less than seventeen years of age. However, children under the age of 17 can be tried as adults in special cases.

Young people can commit crimes just as terrible as those committed by adults, but there is a difference in the way the justice system treats them. When an adult is convicted, the focus is on incarceration and punishment. A juvenile conviction focuses on treatment and rehabilitation. Technically, crimes committed by juveniles don't even end in a criminal conviction. Instead, they are found to be delinquent of an offense.

When a juvenile is found delinquent, they can be sent to a juvenile detention facility. However, since the judges are interested in rehabilitation, they are usually open to alternative penalties. A few of the most common include:

• Behavioral treatment
• Mandatory counseling
• Community service

The hope is that by having the child go through these types of treatments, it will cure the underlying behavioral problems and make juvenile crimes less likely in the future.

In Georgia, when a juvenile gets a traffic citation, it can cause more severe consequences than when an adult gets receives a ticket for the same infraction.

• If you are under 18 years old, if you accumulate 4 or more points on your license in a 12-month period, your license will be suspended

• If you are over 18 but under 21, an accumulation of 15 points in a 24-month period will get your license suspended, which is similar to the law for drivers over the age of 21 in Georgia, HOWEVER:

  • If you are between 18 and 20, and you are convicted of a violation that is worth 4 or more points, your license will automatically be suspended. Offenses that are worth 4 or more points include:

    • Reckless driving
    • Unlawfully passing a school bus, and
    • Driving 24 or more miles per hour over the speed limit

For a complete list of offenses and their point values, click here!

First, the way that a juvenile’s method of rehabilitation is decided upon is called an adjudication, not a trial, like with adults. The goal of juvenile justice is to ensure the safety and welfare of the child and to do what is necessary to aid the child in becoming a responsible member of society. Second, juveniles are obviously much younger than their adult counterparts and are typically treated accordingly.

For a guide to the juvenile justice system and the differences therein, click here!