Conversations about criminal activity and civil rights often center adult defendants. People who are 18 years of age or older who stand accused of breaking the law have clear protections under state and federal statutes and also the Constitution. Everything is much...
From shock to strategy: What should I do if my child is accused of selling drugs in Washington? We have many goals when raising our children. We may have dreams of them competing in professional sports or solving the world’s problems, but we tend to root the foundation of our parenting goals in their safety and wellbeing. Nothing can shake…
Understanding the Legal Complexities of Juvenile Sex Crimes A juvenile defendant for any crime is always a difficult situation. Age, maturity and sometimes simply being able to discern right from wrong makes each case unique. What should juveniles accused of sex crimes and their families expect? Assault and rape While all sex crime charges are serious, a juvenile accused of…
Parents are sometimes shocked when they find out that their children have been accused of breaking the law. They may have a teenager who has been a bit rebellious at times, but they’ve never done anything like this. Why has this happened? The truth is that there are many different reasons why teenagers break the law. Part of it is…
Having a parent sentenced to prison can be traumatic for children of any age. What can you do to reduce the impact on their lives and in what ways can the child maintain a connection to their parent? Visitation This is perhaps the top concern for the parent facing confinement. The incarcerated parent does not automatically lose their visitation rights…
People get prescriptions for all kinds of issues, and they often have the potential to be abused. Having these drugs in your home might be commonplace, but you couldn’t have expected your child to take those drugs and start giving them out at school. They might have known what the medications were for, but they may not have had any…
Usually, when people under the age of 18 commit a crime, they are tried as juveniles. The juvenile system has significant penalties, but they do not tend to be as severe as the punishments that adults would face. Sometimes, juveniles can be tried as adults if they have committed specific kinds of crimes. When can that happen? Here are a…