Juvenile Services

Delinquency:

            There are certain telephone calls that no parent ever wants to receive.  Near the top of that list is the call telling you your child has been arrested.  Juveniles are not immune from the law.  When they break it, they are, like adults, subject to arrest and prosecution.  And, for better or worse, schools are increasingly calling police to handle issues that used to be treated as everyday matters of school discipline.  That means more children – especially children with special needs – are being shunted out of the care of teachers and counselors and into the hands of the juvenile justice system.

The juvenile justice system differs from the adult criminal system in many ways.  Juvenile probation officers, unlike their counterparts in the criminal justice system, are involved with the child earlier in the process.  They have significant discretion to choose the means by which a child’s alleged offense is addressed.  That’s why we engage quickly with juvenile probation officers to advocate for the most appropriate treatment of every child.  And when cases are referred to court for hearings on whether a child should be found delinquent, we’re there every step of the way to fight for the best possible outcome. We do this because while the juvenile system is intended to be rehabilitative, the punishments following a finding of juvenile delinquency can be severe.

That’s why it’s important that children going through the juvenile system – including those who have been punished following a finding of delinquency – should have an experienced lawyer to guide them through every step of the process. 

Child Welfare System:

            When Children and Youth Services receives an allegation of child abuse or neglect, they have an absolute duty to investigate. Parents have a right to counsel throughout the investigation process. If you have a situation involving the child welfare system, experienced legal counsel can help guide you through the process and ensure that your rights are protected. This can be indispensable if there is a finding of abuse against you or an “indicated report” as these reports go into a registry and can fundamentally and adversely impact your ability to obtain employment in certain fields and volunteer for organizations dealing with children.