Criminal Defense - Areas of Practice

Juvenile

Children make mistakes. We made mistrakes when we were young and our children's children will likely make the same or similar mistakes years from now. Unfortunately some mistakes of youth can have significant and potentially life altering consequences

When a minor child is arrested, it is a difficult situation for the entire family. Parents and the arrested juvenile have many questions about the criminal justice system. What will the immediate consequences be? And what will be the future consequences in terms of education and job opportunities?

The Central Florida criminal defense lawyers at Dicembre & Nace have years of experience and are very familiar with the Juvenile Justice system.  We can help you and your family understand the law, the process, as well as the potential sentences and outcomes.

The first thing a child and his family must realize is that a juvenile charge is a real criminal case. Juveniles are, for the most part, charged with the same criminal offenses seen in adult court, such as theft offenses, property crimes, crimes of violence, possession of drugs, etc.

The juvenile system only has jurisdiction over individuals who are accused of committing crimes if at the time of the accusation the individual is under the age of 18. However, in some circumstances, even if the child is younger then 18, the case can be moved into adult court and the child can face adult sanctions. This scenario is called "direct filing" and usually occurs where a child is accused of a serious offense such as rape, robbery, burglary or murder, although technically the Office of the State Attorney has the discretion to file virtually any felony charge as an adult provided the Defendant was over the age of 16 at the time the offense was committed. The prosecutor's decision to direct file is usually made rather quickly and, as a result, the Orlando juvenile defense attorneys at Dicembre & Nace recommend that you contact a lawyer right away. Often, one of the greatest benefit we can provide our juvenile clients, especially in certain types of cases, is to convince the prosecutor to keep their case with the juvenile judge.

Too often, people think that because a case is in juvenile court, it does not need to be taken as seriously. While it is true that the juvenile court system was originally created and conitinues to "pay lip service" to the idea of rehabilitation and not punishment, the days of the juvenile court focusing on providing guidance and direction to troubled youths are over. Today, the juvenile court is, today, a criminal, rather than a rehabilitative, court and its mandate seems to be like that of the adult criminal court; that is, to hold accountable and to punish.

That said, the Central Florida criminal and juvenile defense attorneys at Dicembre & Nace are also parents too and we therefore focus on helping our juvenile defendants resolve their cases in ways that prevent a youthful lack of judgment from creating a circumstance where a child's future is ruined before it truly starts. If your child has been accused of or charged with a crime in the juvenile court system, please contact the lawyers at Dicembre & Nace today for your free consultation. We service Orlando, Maitland, Dr. Phillips, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Oviedo, Kissimmee, Viera, and all communities located in Orange County, Seminole County, Brevard County, Lake County and Osceola County.