Juvenile Crimes Lawyer

40+ Years of Experience To Lend To Your Naples Case

As a parent, you never want to hear that your child is in trouble with the law, especially when you know how this setback could affect their health, their happiness, and their future. If your child is wrongfully accused, we certainly want to do everything in our power to clear their name and help them put these challenges behind them. Even if your child was somehow responsible for any wrongdoing, our team understands that children and teenagers make mistakes, but enacting legal consequences for their actions can often do more harm than good.

While our justice system does its best to ensure children in juvenile court are rehabilitated rather than “punished,” the legal consequences are sometimes more severe and long-lasting than is fair, which is why we want to help you and your family fight for justice.

Why Choose Our Firm?

Dan Cavanaugh, the criminal defense attorney at our firm, has ample years of experience working on a variety of cases, and he knows how to navigate the ins and outs of the juvenile court system. If you choose to work with our firm, we can construct a personalized legal strategy to aggressively defend your child and pursue reduced charges or a full dismissal, if at all possible.

Call (239) 309-2006 if you think you have a case. We want to help!

Understanding Juvenile Court

Minors (those under 18 years of age) do not have the right to a jury trial as adults do, and in most cases, minors will face their charges in juvenile court. In juvenile court, the judge will evaluate the evidence, arguments, and witness statements during a brief trial. Afterward, the judge will decide on a course of action meant to rehabilitate the child offender.

In very rare cases, a court may decide to charge a teenager as an adult, though this only happens if the crime was particularly heinous or if the teen is very near the age of 18. The key difference between the juvenile and adult justice systems is that, whereas juvenile court aims to correct bad behavior, adult court aims to punish the suspected wrongdoer.

You do not want your child tried in an adult court. Juvenile court will be more understanding of a child or teenager’s perspective and will, under the right circumstances, lean more towards offering rehabilitation to correct bad behavior.

Common juvenile offenses in Florida include:

• Arson
• Assault & battery
• Disorderly conduct
• Drug possession
• DUI
• Obstruction of justice
• Solicitation
• Theft crimes
• Traffic offenses
• Trespassing
• Underage drinking
• Vandalism

Penalties for Juvenile Offenses

Depending on the charges laid against your child, the penalties may vary significantly in severity and longevity. If the child has a record of past offenses, the court will probably issue harsher penalties in order to encourage corrective behavior. The charges may also be more severe if there was excessive property damage, or if there were subsequent injuries or fatalities.

If the child is found delinquent (guilty), the court may issue any of the following sentences:

• Mandatory individual or family counseling
• Required random drug tests
• Mandatory school attendance
• Mandatory curfew, as determined by the court
• Community service
• Paid restitution
• Driver’s license suspension
• Probation
• House arrest
• Juvenile detention facility
• Secured juvenile facility “camp”

Contact Law Offices of Cavanaugh & Cavanaugh, P.A. Today

Our firm understands that you want the best for your child, and our founding attorneys understand precisely how much is at stake for you and your family during this difficult time. If your child is facing charges for a juvenile offense, their entire future is at stake, and we want to do everything we can to give your child their best chance at securing an optimal outcome for their juvenile case. We offer same-day appointments, are available after-hours, and most importantly, we care about the work we do.

Contact Law Offices of Cavanaugh & Cavanaugh, P.A. to get in touch with our Naples juvenile crimes attorney. We handle cases throughout Collier County.