Juvenile Defense Lawyer Cleveland

Defense for Juvenile Crimes in OH

The last thing a minor should have to deal with before starting their lives is a criminal conviction. This can leave them unable to attend college or find a good job, in addition to any jail time or probation involved. If your child has been arrested, you need effective legal counsel and representation from a dedicated Cleveland juvenile criminal defense attorney.

HMW Law is firmly committed to providing powerful advocacy for those accused of criminal offenses. We are members of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel-Nation’s Top 1% and have earned an A+ grade from the BBB in addition to numerous other awards. You can trust our more than 75 years of legal experience to find the best means of avoiding a conviction and protecting your future.

Contact our Cleveland juvenile criminal defense lawyers at 216-369-1352  today for a free consultation with our team!

Ohio Juvenile Criminal Cases

Your child faces having a criminal record and limited opportunities when charged with a crime. They could be placed in a secure detention facility, on probation, or even charged as an adult depending on the offense.

Juvenile crimes can include:

• Traffic offenses
• Sex offenses
• Underage OVI
• Vandalism/property offenses
• Marijuana offenses
• Minor in possession of alcohol
• Violent crimes
• Drug crimes

Juvenile Drug Possession in Ohio

Possession of a controlled or illegal drug is one of the easiest ways juveniles can get in trouble with the law. Drug possession charges for juveniles are not taken lightly and they can damage a teen’s chances of getting into a quality college or participating in school programs and sports. If your child has been arrested on possession charges, you should be aware of their rights and your rights as their parent during this trying time.

Know Your Child’s Rights

If your child is under 18, they are considered a juvenile in the courts. Any juvenile who knowingly possesses a controlled or illegal substance can be charged with drug possession. This doesn’t mean they can just claim the substance isn’t theirs and get out of the charges. If the police can prove that a minor had control over the area where the drugs were found, the police are able to charge them. For example, if the drugs were found in the child’s room, the police could determine the juvenile had control of that area.

Below is a list of rights a minor has after they’ve been arrested:

• The Right to a Phone Call – When the police make an arrest, they must read the Miranda Rights out to an arrestee. If you’ve ever watched any cop dramas you’ve likely heard them: “You have the right to remain silent, the right to consult with an attorney and have the attorney present during questioning, and the right to have an attorney appointed if indigent”. The Miranda Rights are what allows your minor their phone call. They will likely call you, which is when you should contact an experienced Cleveland juvenile criminal defense attorney.
• A Minor has a Right to Counsel: If your child has been arrested on drug possession charges, they have the right to ask for a lawyer. As mentioned above, it is in your family’s best interest to hire an attorney that is familiar with the juvenile judicial process.
• Notice of Charges: If your minor has been arrested, law enforcement must provide them with notice of any charges he/she faces.

Juvenile Drug Possession Punishments

After an arrest for drug possession in Ohio, minors could face potentially severe consequences. The criminal process for minors is a bit different though. Because of their age juveniles are given more opportunities for rehabilitation before incarceration, especially if it is their first arrest.

Some examples of punishments include:

• Drug Counselling: the judicial system is focused on rehabilitation for minors. Depending on the circumstances of the drug possession charge, a minor may only be required to attend drug counselling courses for a designated amount of time.
• Probation: the terms of your child’s probation will be outlined by the judge but typically probation includes drug counselling, a set amount of hours for community service, and regular reports to a probation officer.
• Diversion: Often juveniles arrested on a first-time drug possession charge are put on what’s known as a diversion or informal probation. A diversion basically places the minor on probation
• Detention: While rare, a court may sentence a juvenile to detention for drug possession. A sentence for detention could be house arrest, placement with a foster family, or in a juvenile home.

Our firm can aggressively take on your child’s charges to have them dropped or reduced. If necessary we can push to have your child accepted into a juvenile diversion program if they are eligible. These programs work towards rehabilitation as opposed to jail time and are meant to prevent recidivism.

Take the First Step by Contacting Our Cleveland Juvenile Defense Lawyers!

Your child could face a number of different penalties if found guilty such as community service, jail time, and heavy fines. Protect them by speaking with an award-winning Cleveland criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible to begin work on their defense. We have prepared a countless number of criminal defense cases over the years.