Tulsa, Oklahoma kids are often not strangers to getting into some form of trouble.
Although some kids get into trouble with their parents at home or with their teachers at school, others may get into more serious trouble if they break the law.
Minors who break the law are at risk of being tried on Oklahoma juvenile delinquency charges, which can negatively impact their lives.
If a minor in your life has been caught in a criminal act, don’t wait to obtain effective legal representation.
What is Oklahoma Juvenile Delinquency?
Under Oklahoma law, a delinquent minor is anyone who has violated a court order or any state, federal, or local law.
However, breaking traffic laws does not necessarily equate a violation of Oklahoma juvenile delinquency laws. Exceptions of course could apply if the minor’s driving offenses are chronic or especially heinous.
Juvenile Proceedings
Unlike adults, minors who break the law are not typically tried in criminal courts. Instead, their guilt or innocence in determined in an adjudicative hearing.
If a judge determines that there is enough evidence that the minor committed the crime, he will be “adjudicated delinquent,” but not “guilty.” Minors are not entitled to a jury trial in an Oklahoma juvenile delinquency proceeding.
Upon a finding that a child has been adjudicated delinquent, the court may order a number of services or punishments the minor must undergo. A child who has been adjudicated delinquent will not go to jail, however.
The court may order that the minor be placed on probation and required to abide by strict rules.
The court may also require the child to be placed in community residential treatment if they have been caught using drugs or alcohol or behavioral reformation camps if they have behavioral issues.
The court may also require a minor to undergo drug treatment, counseling, educational services or any other treatment it believes is appropriate.
Juvenile Centers
Delinquent minors who have committed more serious crimes may be held in juvenile detention centers. These centers are similar to jail, but are only for children and may include services and programs designed to get kids back on the right path.
Juveniles who must be detained are usually held in either the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center (COJC) or Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center (SOJC).
Teenagers who commit very serious crimes, such as rape or murder, can be tried as adults in Oklahoma. As a result, they may be forced to go to an adult prison.
Fighting a Delinquent Minor Charge
Fighting any charge brought against a minor is similar to fighting a criminal charge brought against an adult. The state will be required to present evidence to show that the child committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
An experienced Tulsa, Oklahoma juvenile delinquency attorney will help build a defense that a minor’s actions did not meet each of the crime’s requirements–called elements–beyond a reasonable doubt.
Or, an attorney may help to negotiate a lesser punishment for the crime committed. This may include negotiating counseling instead of detention, for example.
Initial Consultation: Tulsa Child Delinquency Lawyer
Being adjudicated delinquent can interrupt a minor’s life. They may be removed from their school and home for weeks or months at a time. An attorney can help ensure that they receive the best possible outcome possible under the circumstances.
Consult with an experienced Oklahoma juvenile delinquency attorney at the Tulsa Criminal Defense Law Firm today at (918) 256-3400, or toll-free at 1-(888) 447-7262 (Wirth Law).
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