Juvenile Defense Attorneys Serving Wicomico County & The Eastern Shore

When your child has been arrested, it’s easy to panic. The most important thing you can do to get control of the situation is to hire a reputable criminal defense attorney to fight the charges. At Britt Criminal Defense, our first priority is to make sure your son or daughter’s rights are protected and their future remains intact. We have defended countless charges in the juvenile justice system including assault, shoplifting, underage drinking, arson, rape, breaking and entering, possession of controlled substances, etc.

Child Detainment

Most juvenile cases began with law enforcement notifying you that your child has been detained/arrested and taken to the police station. Your child will most likely be released to you unless the alleged crime is serious whereby they will be held overnight at a juvenile detention center.

Before any charges are filed, you and your child will need to attend an intake hearing with an officer from the Department of Juvenile Services. It’s important to consult with a juvenile defense attorney at Britt Criminal Defense before taking part in this meeting.

Community Service And Alternative Programs

If your child has been accused of a misdemeanor, the DJS officer may decide to forego sending the case to the prosecutor’s office and instead order your child to either perform community service, attend counseling, pay restitution, or complete some other task.

If your child has been accused of committing a felony, the Department of Juvenile Services is required by law to forward the case to the State’s Attorney’s Office for review. It’s likely that the State would then file a petition in juvenile court to begin juvenile delinquency proceedings. Juvenile court is much more focused on rehabilitation and may impose certain sanctions such as commitment to a Maryland juvenile facility, commitment to an out-of-state facility, probation, drug testing, drug treatment, psychiatric evaluations, electronically monitored home detention and community service.

For especially egregious crimes, the prosecutor may try to transfer the court to adult court. We will vehemently advocate keeping the case in juvenile court.