The juvenile justice system is different from the adult criminal system in several important ways, and if you or your child has been charged in the juvenile court system, choosing a lawyer that has experience defending juveniles is extremely important.
Historically, the juvenile justice system was more focused on rehabilitation and reforming bad behavior than putting children in jail, but that focus has somewhat changed in recent years. That can be especially true if a child has been charged with what would be a serious offense if it had been committed by an adult.
Another big difference is that the judge in a juvenile proceeding has much more flexibility in coming up with sentences (called “dispositions” in the juvenile system) if the child is found guilty (the juvenile court system uses the word “delinquent”).
If the child is alleged to have committed a serious enough offense, they might be transferred to adult court. This means they could be committed to the Department of Corrections if they are convicted.
There are also different procedural protections for juveniles than adults, so if you or your child has been arrested and is facing possible charges in juvenile court, Indianapolis juvenile defense attorney Randall Parr can help guide your child through the process.
- See Indiana Code 31-37-2-1 et seq for more information.
*See complete Indiana Code for full description of all crimes and statutes. This is a partial listing only.