Juvenile Crime Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 

Defend Yourself with 150+ Years of Experience at Musca Law

Juvenile court is invariably beneficial for adolescent offenders because of the reduced harshness of the penalties. Some offenses, however, are not deserving of being heard in a juvenile court of law due to the nature of their seriousness. Aggravated battery, murder, rape, and aggravated burglary are just a few of the crimes for which a judge will quite probably reject a motion to continue the case in juvenile court. The minimum required age for being tried in adult court differs from state to state. In some states, the minimum age is as old as 16, yet in other states, it can be as young as 12.

If you have a child who has recently been charged with a criminal offense, do not hand their fate over to those in charge of our country’s faulty justice system. Reach out to the juvenile criminal defense attorneys here at Musca law right away to put your child in the best position for being protected from severe punishments and possibly even life-ruining results. Almost all children demonstrate rash or careless behavior during their time growing up. These are meant to be events that they learn and grow from. It is so important that children know that these youthful indiscretions do not define who they are as a person. Juvenile offenders really have to discover that their actions have consequences and the importance of the law as it pertains to our community. Our criminal defense attorneys in our Fort Lauderdale offices have worked copious amounts of criminal cases in which the offender was a minor, always producing the most mutually amicable outcomes achievable, wherein the courts taught the juvenile a lesson but refrained from destroying their young lives with a juvenile criminal record.

With over 150 years of combined legal experience among our team of highly qualified attorneys, Musca Law has successfully tried numerous juvenile cases throughout the history of our firm. Don’t hesitate to contact us today at (954) 302-5391 to schedule a free initial case consultation with one of the experienced attorneys in our Fort Lauderdale office.

A few of the most frequent crimes perpetrated by minors include but are not limited to:

• Vandalism
• Underaged Drinking
• Felony Drug Violations
• Trespassing
• Misdemeanor Obstruction of Justice
• Disorderly Conduct
• Grand Larceny with the exception of Grand Theft Auto
• Aggravated Battery
• Aggravated Assault
• Misdemeanor Violations of Drug Laws
• Petit Larceny
• Burglary
• Assault and Battery

Juvenile diversion programs are often employed by the state of Florida as a way of offering juvenile offenders another opportunity at a life without a criminal record by sealing their records so that past criminal violations are not able to hinder their professional and personal growth and employment ambitions. Frequently, juvenile offenders will be assigned a requirement to complete a certain number of hours of community service, attend education classes, attend education programs regarding alcohol and drugs, or write messages of apology to those who were negatively impacted by their criminal actions. Research has demonstrated that juveniles who have criminal records are much more inclined to commit further offenses as an adult, so in acknowledgment, Florida designed programs that are able to achieve the goal of teaching and redirecting Florida’s juveniles from subsequent crimes without permanently blackening their records and ruining their potentially bright futures. Sociologists at the International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology have stated that there is a solid argument to be made for the effectiveness of these youth diversion programs. The juveniles who are put into these programs are a lot less inclined to re-offend than their convicted counterparts. It is important that you hire a juvenile crimes criminal defense attorney who knows the steps to take in filing for a first-time diversion program in the event that your minor child is charged with a crime in the Fort Lauderdale area of Florida.

Juvenile Trespassing

Trespassing is a crime in which somebody begins or continues their occupation of a property or vehicle without being invited or authorized to do so by the owner. According to Florida law, anyone who is found trespassing is chargeable with a misdemeanor in the second degree. Youth are frequent trespassers here in Florida. Children all over our state are able to be persuaded by their friends to investigate abandoned properties, enter their school after dark while all of the offices are closed or even wander aimlessly around a construction site that is closed for the evening. These little adventures, while exciting, are also risky and potentially dangerous and illegal. That being said, they are also certainly not uncommon. The Fort Lauderdale juvenile criminal defense attorneys here at Musca Law have represented hundreds of juveniles in both adult and juvenile court. Retaining a criminal defense attorney when challenging a juvenile charge is thoroughly essential when it comes to keeping your kid out of an adult court and making sure that they are given the second chance that you know they deserve by going through the juvenile court system and obtaining a sealed and expunged criminal record. If your minor child has recently been charged with Trespass in Structure or Conveyance in the Fort Lauderdale area of Florida, please reach out to our juvenile crime attorneys right away so that you can secure the most favorable results possible when it comes to your child’s case. It is the only way to preserve their future.

There are five major categories In the state of Florida under which people can be charged with criminal trespass.

• Trespass to Structure: This phrase applies to trespass inside of someone else’s home to which the defendant was not invited or permitted to enter.
• Trespass to a Conveyance: A conveyance is any object other than a residence that is entered without permission.
• Trespass to Land: Takes place when a defendant enters or remains on someone else’s empty lot or other parcel of land.
• Trespass on School Grounds: This takes place when a person who does not have authorization or invitation enters the grounds of a public school. In the instance of children, these kinds of charges are typically given to students who access their school campus after it’s hours of operation or to students who have been suspended from school and elected to physically be on school grounds anyways.
• Trespass on a Construction Site: Construction sites are regularly trespassed in by minors. In certain states, trespassing on a construction site is penalized more harshly than other trespassing offenses due to the fact that the liability is so huge for the owner of the construction site if anybody was to hurt themselves or someone else.

Juvenile Vandalism

Vandalism, also known as damage to property or as criminal mischief, takes place when someone deliberately damages, defaces or causes physical defects to a piece of property that they do not own. Typical cases involve carvings, destruction of property, graffiti, and even the time-honored act of egging. This type of crime is one of the most popular juvenile crimes that is perpetrated in the state of Florida. If you have a kid who was recently charged with the criminal act of vandalism in the Fort Lauderdale area, please reach out to the Fort Lauderdale juvenile crime criminal defense attorneys for your best bet at protecting your kid’s valuable character. A criminal record is enough to stand in the way of your child’s future achievements both personally and professionally. Juvenile vandalism offenses, such as theft crimes, have an especially adverse implication when reviewed by both university administrators and employers, even when the infraction was committed while you were a juvenile. Universities and businesses do not want to roll the dice on employing a person who is deceptive or destructive, so it is crucial to hire a top-notch criminal attorney once you learn that your kid has been charged with criminal vandalism, to see to it that it does not wind up on their permanent record. The Fort Lauderdale juvenile criminal defense attorneys at Musca Law have the knowledge and the experience that are needed to make sure that your child stays out of the heavy grasp of America’s judicial system.

According to Florida law, the crime of vandalism has taken place when the following three criteria have all been satisfied:

• Physical damage: Florida law views this as any form of carving, tagging, graffiti, etching or any other form of damage that may not necessarily be permanent or completely disastrous.
• Ownership by another: The place or item that has been damaged by someone must be owned by somebody else, and the destruction must have taken place against their choice. For instance, a person who has been contracted and hired to re-paint the outside of a house may not then be charged with any form of vandalism by the owner of the property once the transaction has been made.
• Intentionality: Vandalism is considered to have taken place when someone deliberately scars or defaces the property of someone else. For example, someone who inadvertently damages someone else’s car is not able to be charged with vandalism, even though that person is legally bound to pay for any damage.

Juvenile Burglary

Statute 810.02 of Florida law asserts that the definition for burglary includes “entering or remaining in a dwelling, a structure, or a conveyance with the intent to commit an offense therein unless the premises are at the time open to the public or the defendant is licensed or invited to enter or remain.” 

In the state of Florida, burglary in the absence of any aggravating circumstances is considered to have taken place when someone is inside the residence is classified as a felony of the second degree. If the residence is empty when the burglary takes place, then it is classified as a felony of the first degree. There are a few deciding factors when it comes to what is considered to be a burglary.

• Illegal entry into a  residence, building or vehicle with the intention of committing a criminal act inside
• Legal entry into a residence, building or vehicle but then staying inside either:
  • Secretly with the intention of committing a crime
  • After approval to stay has been revoked with the intention of committing a crime inside
  • With the intention of committing a violent felony

Juvenile Petit Theft

Petit theft is more generally known as shoplifting. It indicates that an item of comparatively little worth was taken from either a shop or from someone else's personal possessions, such as their home, vehicle, purse, wallet etc. Crimes of theft are especially bad to have on your record due to the fact that it indicates to prospective employers that that individual has been caught stealing and is unable to be trusted as a team member. Juveniles are expected to make errors in judgment, to be inept at completely grasping the importance of and the negative impacts brought about by their behavior. Juveniles are also a lot more prone to rehabilitation and correction than their fully grown criminal counterparts. Petit theft, or shoplifting, is the third most prevalent crime committed amongst juveniles in the state of Florida. The Fort Lauderdale juvenile crimes criminal defense attorneys at Musca Law recognize that children sometimes make mistakes and that the police are often quick to catch them while they are making these mistakes. The court would like to ensure that these juveniles do not turn into repeat offenders, and of course, no decent parent has any desire to see their child spend time in jail. That’s where the juvenile crime attorneys at Musca Law can help. 

We advocate on behalf of your juvenile in court in order to make certain that the court feels compassion for your child to such a degree that incarceration and blemishes on a confused teen’s permanent record appear absolutely unnecessary. There are plenty of different ways in which youth are capable of learning their lesson, and our Fort Lauderdale attorneys will fight passionately in order to make certain that our young clients are able to walk away from the ordeal with as few legal consequences as possible so that their bright futures are not forever ruined because of some youthful run-in with the law. Don’t hesitate to contact our Fort Lauderdale office today at (954) 302-5391 to schedule a free initial case consultation with one of the experienced attorneys.