Tampa Juvenile Criminal Attorneys are constantly asked by juveniles and their parents what court is going to be like, as opposed to adult court. Many of the State Attorney’s Offices throughout the Tampa Bay Area are incredibly aggressive in prosecuting juvenile cases, while also pursuing and seeking strenuous programs. There are three (3) primary differences between the two (2) separate courts and processes.
First, juveniles can generally only be able to be detained for 21 days in a juvenile detention center (“JDC”). JDCs are supervised and maintained by the Department of Juvenile Justice, which is totally separate from local sheriff’s offices, who maintain county jails. The employees of JDC even wear separate uniforms and have separate facilities. For example, the Pinellas County JDC is located approximately one hundred yards from the courthouse, while it shares a property line with the county jail, it is totally different. The overwhelming majority of juveniles are only detained for 21 days, then have to be released.
Secondly, the emphasis in juvenile court tends to be more focused on rehabilitating an individual, as opposed to the classic emphasis of punishment and retribution of Florida adult criminal courts. Many times, a juvenile will be offered many programs focused on providing the juvenile life and coping skills for their future. Additionally, the general tone of juvenile criminal court is significantly less adversarial than Florida adult criminal court. Many Tampa Juvenile Criminal Attorneys the relaxed tone and nature of juvenile courtrooms. It is also worth noting juveniles lack many of the same protection adults receive. For example, juveniles do not have a right to a trial by jury, like adults.
Lastly, we discuss throughout our Tampa Juvenile Criminal Attorneys blog the importance of understanding one’s Florida criminal punishment scoresheet. One’s scoresheet essentially dictates what someone’s lowest prison sentence will likely initially be. A scoresheet essentially provides the minimum and maximum, someone can anticipate in their criminal cases. While other attorneys may recommend individuals quickly plea to juvenile charges, our Tampa Juvenile Criminal Attorneys understand the significant impact juvenile charges can have on someone’s adult criminal scoresheet. As I have told countless juveniles, while these cases may only be labeled as juvenile, they will have a lifelong impact on someone’s record.
If you or someone you know has questions concerning a juvenile criminal charge, contact the Tampa Juvenile Criminal Attorneys of Hackworth Law for a free case consultation. We always provide free case consultations and have handled many of these cases throughout Central Florida. If you need to contact one of our Tampa Juvenile Criminal Attorneys immediately, please use our “contact us now” tab in the upper right portion of our webpage. We appreciate your time in checking out our blog and look forward to hearing from you.