| DISCLAIMER:
The juvenile law information presented at this site should not
be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a attorney client relationship. The juvenile law web site of the Law Offices of
George Kita has been designed to provide juvenile educational information only
and is not intended to offer legal advice. His juvenile law practice is limited to California Courts. There is no express or implied intent to
solicit business from outside of California. Nothing herein is intended
to constitute a guarantee, warranty or prediction regarding the
outcome of your legal matter. Every case is different and outcomes will
vary depending on the unique facts and legal issues of your case.
Further
Information about Juvenile Law Crimes
In
California, we have set up a separate court for minors, those persons
under 18 years of age. Long ago, this state decided children and their
needs are different from adults and a separate court system was required
to provide those needs. Also, many believed that if children did something
wrong, they could be rehabilitated through intensive counseling, education,
and guidance, whereas law-breaking adults might be less open to rehabilitation.
Today, our juvenile law courts serve three distinctly different kinds of
kids:
First,
there are children who have committed an act that if committed by an adult
would be considered criminal. These kids are often called "delinquents
or 602 kids." The number 602 refers to the Welfare and Institutions Code
section that specifically relates to delinquents. Second,
there are children who have committed status offenses. These are activities
that are only wrong because they are committed by minors. If they were
committed by adults, they would not be considered illegal at all. Examples
of status are truancy, running away from home, violating curfew, or simply
being outside of the control of your parents. These kids are also often
called "children in need of supervision or 601 kids." Again, 601 refers
to the Welfare arid Institutions Code section that specifically relates
to status offenses. And
finally, there are the children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned.
In these circumstances, the court must decide who is going to be responsible
for the care of these children. This is done through court hearings which
are held to determine questions of dependency. In some cases, temporary
custody is taken from the parents and the children are placed in foster
care. Parents are then ordered to get counseling before their children
are returned. In other cases, the parents' right to their children is
taken away entirely and these children are put up for adoption.
An
exception to the three primary categories of kids described above are
the children who are age 14 or older and have committed a very serious
crime. Under these circumstances, the court, upon the urging of the district
attorney's office can transfer a child from the juvenile justice system
to the adult justice system. When this occurs, a "fitness hearing" under
Welfare & Institution code section 707 is held to determine whether the
minor is suited for the juvenile justice process or would be more appropriately
treated if transferred to the adult court system. This
decision is based on the following criteria:
- the minor's degree
of criminal sophistication;
- whether he can
be rehabilitated;
- the child's previous
delinquent history;
- the success of
previous attempts by the juvenile court to rehabilitate the minor;
and
- the circumstances
and gravity of the offense.
Again,
a district attorney will usually only recommend that a child be transferred
to the adult courts when the child has allegedly committed an extremely
serious offense, such as murder, arson, armed robbery, forcible sex crimes,
kidnapping, assault, shooting a firearm into an occupied building, selling
or providing certain drugs to other minors, or other aggravated offenses.
If
the child remains in the juvenile justice system she may be kept under
the court's jurisdiction until the age of 21 if she was less than 16 when
she became a ward of the court. If the child is more than 16 years old
when charged with a crime, the child will remain a ward of the court until
the age of 25. When
kids are picked up as either delinquents or status offenders police and
juvenile probation officers have discretion to release kids and send them
home to their parents. If children are held by the police or the probation
department, however, laws require that those who are status offenders
be held separate and apart from children charged as delinquents or adults
who have been arrested.
If
a child is taken into custody, he must either
be released within 48 hours or have a petition
for wardship filed against him. During this
time, the parents must be notified about
what is going on and/or the intent of the
probation department to have their child
made a ward of the court. During these proceedings,
minors have a right to a lawyer and have
most of the procedural rights given adult
defendants. But juvenile defendants, unlike
adults in California, have no right to a
jury trial, and no right to bail.
Trials and juvenile law court
proceedings are called adjudication hearings.
If a child is found guilty of the crime
at an adjudication hearing, a dispositional
hearing is scheduled. At the dispositional
hearing, the state decides what would
be the court's appropriate response, keeping
in mind that the overriding aim of the
juvenile law justice system is to rehabilitate
youthful offenders and get them back on
the right track. The court has various
options. A judge may place the child on
probation, seek restitution, assign the
child to community service or place her
in a halfway house or foster care. A juvenile
offender also may be sent to a training
school or a secure facility. (A secure
facility is also known as "lock-up," where
the juveniles are not allowed the freedom
to leave.) Sealing or destroying juvenile
records is a complicated process and may
not be possible if the child has been
convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor
involving moral turpitude, or if not enough
time has passed since the child's conviction.
Usually, records can be sealed after five
years from the termination of the juvenile
court's jurisdiction or as soon as the
juvenile becomes 18. Once sealed, the
minor's records may not be opened for
inspection unless ordered by the court.
If you find yourself involved in any juvenile
court matter call George Kita immediately
for a free consultation.
The
Law Offices of George Kita Juvenile Law Office proudly serves
the following cities and counties:
Alameda
County Juvenile Law matters for the following cities:
Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville,
Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland,
Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Union
City
Alpine
County Juvenile Law cases
Amador
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Amador City, Ione, Jackson, Plymouth,
Sutter Creek
Butte
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Chico, Gridley, Oroville, Paradise
Calaveras
County Juvenile Law cases:
Angels Camp
Colusa
County Juvenile Law cases:
Colusa, Williams
Contra
Costa County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord,
Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette,
Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg,
Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San
Ramon, Walnut Creek
Del
Norte County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Crescent City
El
Dorado County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Placerville, South Lake Tahoe
Fresno
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Clovis, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Fowler, Fresno,
Huron, Kerman, Kingsburg, Mendota, Orange
Cove, Parlier, Reedley, San Joaquin, Sanger,
Selma
Glenn
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Orland, Willows
Humboldt
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna,
Rio Dell, Trinidad
Imperial
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Brawley, Calexico, Calipatria, El Centro,
Holtville, Westmorland
Inyo
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Bishop
Kern
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Arvin, Bakersfield, California City, Delano,
Kern County, Maricopa, McFarland, Ridgecrest,
Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi, Wasco
Kings
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Avenal, Corcoran, Hanford, Lemoore
Lake
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Clearlake, Lakeport
Lassen
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Susanville
Our Los Angeles County Juvenile Criminal Attorneys & Lawyers are dedicated toward upholding and protecting juvenile rights and we handle all Los
Angeles County Juvenile Law delinquency criminal cases in the following cities:
Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Angeles Vista,
Artesia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bellflower,
Beverly Hills, Big Pines, Boyle Heights,
Burbank, Carson, Cerritos, Chatsworth,
CIty Terrace, Claremont, Commerce, Compton,
Covina, Culver City, Downtown LA, Downey,
Eagle Rock, El Monte, El Segundo, Flintridge,
Foothill Division, Gardena, Glendale,
Glendora, Granada Hills, Hawaiian Gardens,
Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Hidden Hills,
HIghland Park, Highway Highlands, Hollywood,
Industry, Inglewood, Irwindale, Korea
Town, La Canada, La Cresenta, La Habra
Heights, La Mirada, La Puente, La Verne,
Lakewood, Lancaster, Lenox, Little Rock,
Little Tokyo, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Padrinos, Los
Angeles, Los Feliz, Los Nietos, Lynwood,
Manhattan Beach, Marina Del Rey, Monterey
Park, Montrose, Northridge, Norwalk, Palmdale,
Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Pearl
Blossom, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho Palos
Verdes, Redondo Beach, Reseda, Rolling
Hills Estates, San Fernando, San Gabriel,
San Pedro, Santa Clarita, Santa Fe Springs,
Santa Monica, Signal Hills, Sylmar, Temple
City, Three Points, Torrance, Valinda,
Van Nuys, Ventura County, Verdugo City,
Viewpark, Walnut, West Covina, West Hollywood,
Westlake Village, Whittier, Wilmington
Madera
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Chowchilla, Madera
Marin
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Larkspur,
Mill Valley, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo,
San Rafael, Sausalito, Tiburon
Mariposa
County Juvenile Law cases:
Mendocino
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Fort Bragg, Point Arena, Ukiah, Willits
Merced
County Juvenile Law delinquency matters in the following cities:
Atwater, Dos Palos, Gustine, Livingston,
Los Banos, Merced
Modoc
County Juvenile Law criminal cases in the following cities:
Alturas
Mono
County Juvenile Law cases in the following cities:
Mammoth Lakes
Monterey
County Juvenile Law delinquency matters in the following cities:
Carmel, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzales, Greenfield,
King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove,
Salinas, Sand City, Seaside, Soledad
Napa
County Juvenile Law matters in the following cities:
American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, St.
Helena, Yountville
Nevada
County Juvenile Law delinquency cases in the following cities:
Grass Valley, Nevada City, Truckee
Our Orange
County Juvenile Lawyers & Attorneys are dedicated toward defending juvenile rights in Orange County as we handle Juvenile criminal matters that occur in the following Orange County cities:
Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Balboa Island, Brea,
Buena Park, Capistrano Beach, Corona Del
Mar, Costa Mesa, Coto de Caza, Cowan Heights,
Cypress, Dana Point, El Modena, El Toro,
El Toro Marine Base, Foothill Ranch, Fountain
Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington
Beach, Irvine, La Habra, Laguna Beach,
Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest,
Leisure World, Lemon Heights, Los Alamitos,
Mission Viejo, Modjeska Canyon, Newport
Beach, Orange, Orange Park Acres, Placentia,
Rancho San Margarita, Rossmoor, San Clemente,
Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Silverado Canyon,
Stanton, Sunset Beach, Surfside, Tustin,
Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda
Placer
County Juvenile Law criminal cases in the following cities:
Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin,
Roseville
Plumas
County Juvenile Law Attorneys handle cases in :
Portola
Our Riverside
County Juvenile Lawyers & Attorneys handle all Riverside Juvenile Law criminal cases in the following cities:
Aguanga, Anza, Arlington, Calimesa,
Casa Blanca, Cherry Valley, Corona, Corona
Hills, Edgemont, El Cerrito, Gilman, Glen
Avon, Glenn Valley, Hemet, High Grove,
Home Gardens, Homeland, Hot Springs, Idyll,
La Sierra, Lake View, Mead Valley, Meadow
Brook, Mira Loma, Moreno, Mt. Lanter,
Murrieta, Norco, Nuevo, Pedley, Perris,
Quail Valley, Riverside, Rodea, Romoland,
Sage, San Jacinto, Santa Ana Canyon, Soboba,
Sun City, Temecula, Temescal Canyon, Vail
Lake, Valle Vista, Wildomar Lake, Winchester
Sacramento
County Juvenile Law delinquency cases in the following cities:
Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Sacramento
San
Benito County Juvenile Lawyers
Hollister, San Juan Bautista
San
Bernardino County Juvenile Attorneys & Lawyers
Adelanto, Angles Oaks, Apple Valley, Bloomington,
Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, El Mirage,
Etiwanda, Forest Falls, Grand Terrace,
Helendale, Hesperia, Highland, Loma Linda,
Lucerne Valley, Mentone, Montclair, Ontario,
Oro Grande, Phelan, Pinon Hills, Rancho
Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino
City, Victorville, Wrightwood, Yucaipa
San
Diego County Juvenile Attorneys and Lawyers
Aalomar Mountain, Alpine, Bonita, Bonsall,
Borrego Springs, Bostonia, Boulevard,
Camp Pendleton, Campo, Cardiff, Cardiff
by the Sea, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado,
Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido,
Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove,
National City, Oceanside, Poway, Rancho
Bernardo, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee,
Solana Beach, Vista, Crest, Descanso,
Dulzura, Fallbrook, Guatay, Jacumba, Jamul,
Julian, La Jolla, Lake San Marcos, Lakeside,
Leucadia, Lincoln Acres, Mount Laguna,
Nestor, Ocean Beach, Olivenhain, Pacific
Beach, Pala, Pauma Valley, Pine Valley,
Potrero, Rainbow, Ramona, Ranchita, Rancho
Santa Fe, San Luis Rey, San Ysidro, Santa
Ysabel, Spring Valley, Tecate, Valley
Center, Warner Springs
San
Francisco County Juvenile Attorneys and Lawyers
San Francisco, Daily City
San
Joaquin County Juvenile Attorney and Lawyers
Escalon, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon,
Stockton, Tracy
San
Luis Obispo County Juvenile Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Grover Beach,
Morro Bay, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, San
Luis Obispo
San
Mateo County Juvenile Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame,
Colma, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Foster
City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo
Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley,
Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San
Mateo, South San Francisco, Woodside
Santa
Barbara County Juvenile Lawyers & Attorneys handle all Juvenile Criminal cases that occur in the following cities:
Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe,
Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Solvang
Santa
Clara County Juvenile Criminal Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos,
Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas,
Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View,
Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga,
Sunnyvale
Santa
Cruz County Juvenile Criminal Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville
Shasta
County Juvenile Criminal Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Anderson, Redding, Shasta Lak
Sierra
County Juvenile Criminal Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Loyalton
Siskiyou
County Juvenile Criminal Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Dorris, Dunsmuir, Etna, Fort Jones, Montague,
Mount Shasta, Tulelake, Weed, Yreka
Solano
County Juvenile Criminal Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista,
Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo
Sonoma
County Juvenile Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma,
Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol,
Sonoma, Windsor
Stanislaus
County Juvenile Law Attorneys and Lawyers
Ceres, Hughson, Modesto, Newman, Oakdale,
Patterson, Riverbank, Turlock, Waterford
Sutter
County
Live Oak, Yuba City
Tehama
County
Corning, Red Bluff, Tehama
Trinity
County
Tulare
County
Dinuba, Exeter, Farmersville, Lindsay,
Porterville, Tulare, Tulare, Visalia,
Woodlake
Tuolumne
County
Sonora
Ventura
County
Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard,
Port Hueneme, San Buenaventura, Santa
Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks
Yolo
County
Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, Woodland
Yuba
County
Marysville, Wheatland
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