Juvenile cases
When your child is the one charged
A call about your teenager changes the whole house. The court process is different for anyone under 18, with its own vocabulary, its own judges and its own aims.
Rina Nakagawa handles our juvenile cases. She talks with the young person and the parent together and also separately, because each has questions they don’t want to ask in front of the other.
We also look past the courtroom: school discipline, a driver’s license and the effect on a record are all part of the plan.
Charges we take
The juvenile matters we take
We represent young people and speak with their parents or guardians throughout.
Fights and school incidents
Charges that start at school or after it, with discipline running alongside the case.
Theft and property charges
Shoplifting, joyriding and damage cases, where a first-time record is the main worry.
Drug and weapons allegations
Possession counts and items found in a car or a bag that the teenager says were not theirs.
How it goes
What families should expect
Juvenile court is quieter than adult court. It is still a court.
- 01
Step 1: A talk with you both
We meet the young person and the parent, together and apart.
- 02
Step 2: A plan for school and court
We contact the school where it helps and keep track of every date.
- 03
Step 3: A look at the record
We explain what stays on a record, who can see it and how to petition later.
Juvenile case questions
Can I stay in the room during court?
Usually, yes. We explain the rules of the courtroom beforehand so nothing in the room is a surprise.
Will this follow my child to college or a job?
It depends on the outcome. We describe what is likely and the petitions that are open afterward.
Should my child talk to the police or the school?
Please wait and call us first. We can be present for any conversation that could be used in the case.
Has your child been charged?
Call and tell us what you know. We will explain the next hearing and what to say and not say in the meantime.
Please do not send confidential details through this site until we have spoken.