Raleigh Juvenile Defense Lawyer

Kids Make Mistakes.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, Vavonese Law Firm, PC can help you protect your child’s future as their juvenile crimes defense lawyer.

In the state of North Carolina, teenagers can be tried as adults. You do not want your child to face time in an adult prison, or have a criminal record that won’t go away if his or her case is tried in an adult court. If your son or daughter is under 18 and has been charged with a criminal offense, it is crucial to keep their case in the juvenile justice system.

The North Carolina Juvenile Code provides rights to juveniles facing criminal charges. Juveniles possess the right to have a parent present during in-custody interrogations. Juvenile court records are also protected by strict confidentiality rules. Under the United States Constitution, juveniles also have many of the same rights afforded adult defendants, such as the right to counsel; the right to notice of the charges against them; the right to confront witnesses on cross-examination; and the right against self-incrimination. The Supreme Court of the United States has held, however, that juveniles are not afforded the following rights under the United States Constitution: the right to trial by jury; the right to a speedy trial; the right to self-representation; and the right to bail. In fact, juveniles only receive the protection of those rights when their cases are transferred to the superior court. If a juvenile is facing criminal charges, and the prosecutor decides to transfer the juvenile’s case to the superior court, the juvenile may be tried as an adult under the criminal laws of North Carolina.

Vavonese Law Firm, PC in Raleigh will fight to keep your son or daughter out of the adult system. Protect their future. We will work hard to find ways to reduce felony charges to misdemeanors whenever possible and help them move on to a promising future.

We can handle your child’s defense against any charge, including:

• Federal charges
• Assault, violent crime
• Sexual crimes
• Drug charges
• Gang-related crime
• DWI Defense
• Minor in possession of alcohol
• Theft/stolen property
• ID theft or check forgery
• Computer crimes

Juvenile records are sealed. Adult records are a different story. They stay open to the public unless expunged. We’ll clearly explain the juvenile and adult court process and answer every question you have about your son or daughter’s case.

One of our main objectives will be to keep the case in juvenile court and get the best result possible. You need an experienced juvenile court attorney to help you. The juvenile system’s chief objective is rehabilitation. That is not true in adult court. Keeping the case in the juvenile system is important because:

• Not all juvenile cases are criminal in nature. Often the children just need more supervision.
• Offenses like underage drinking and truancy can only be committed by juveniles, thus they may or may not be tried in adult court.
• Juveniles do not have the same constitutional rights that an adult would have. They are minors, so the court treats them as such.
• Juvenile cases are almost always assigned to a case or social worker.
• Punishments range from probation, and curfew, to a mandate that the juvenile attends training school or commitment to a youth development center.
• Records from juvenile cases are sealed. Unlike adult criminal records, they will not show up on a normal background check.