Fresno Juvenile Law and Juvenile Criminal Defense

In Fresno, juvenile criminal law involves a definition of crimes that is different from those committed by adults.  These include the following:

• Juvenile delinquency:  These offenses occur when children commit violations of the law that would be considered crimes if committed by adults.
• Juvenile status offenses:  When children commit acts that are specifically illegal because of the age of the child (truancy, running away from home, etc.), these acts are considered juvenile crimes.
• Juvenile dependency:  Fresno juvenile laws also cover abuse and neglect cases, where the juvenile court considers family situations where allegations of abuse or neglect have been made, and gets involved in an effort to protect a family's children.

Attorneys engaged to provide juvenile criminal defense in Fresno need the specialized understanding of the juvenile laws in Fresno.  Like the California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), the attorney needs to formulate a defense with an eye toward rehabilitation, rather than punishment.  Their goal is to help youthful offenders to get a second chance to become a valued member of the community and realize a bright future.

Fresno juvenile criminal defense must involve the following:

• Protecting the rights of children under the law as minors
• Providing a strong defense for wrongly-accused children
• Negotiating for the fairest charges and punishment when it has been established that the child did commit an offense
• Fighting hard to obtain the best rehabilitation programs for their clients
• Providing compassionate and informative counseling resources for the families of youthful offenders to help return them to a positive environment after completing their sentences
• Whenever possible, working to expunge the criminal records of youthful offenders to give them a fresh start after they have paid their dues to society

The best defense is only available when you retain an attorney with extensive experience in juvenile criminal law in Fresno.  The attorneys at the Law Office of Rick Berman & Eric Schweitzer have the Fresno juvenile criminal defense experience needed to ensure the best future possible for your child.  Contact us today for a free consultation.