Juvenile Court vs. Adult Court in Greenwich
A juvenile arrest in Greenwich can be incredibly serious. Such an individual can be charged with anything from breach of peace to something as serious as murder. One frequently asked question among many individuals involved is how a juvenile case can be transferred to adult court.
There are time limits and time deadlines for the prosecutors to transfer a Connecticut juvenile case to adult court, so it is important to consult with an experienced juvenile arrest lawyer who can help to keep the case in juvenile court.
Transferring of the Case
A juvenile case can be transferred to an adult court in Greenwich automatically for A and B felonies. The prosecutors have the discretion to transfer B felonies from juvenile to adult court in Greenwich. However, that is within the discretion of the prosecutors.
Specific Elements of Adult Court
A juvenile can be arrested for either a felony or a misdemeanor. With felony or misdemeanor arrests, a compelling argument to hiring an experienced attorney is to make sure that the case is not transferred to adult court in Greenwich.
Prosecutors have very broad and wide discretion to transfer their cases to juvenile court. If the case is transferred from juvenile court, the privacy, confidentiality, and protections for the juvenile are eliminated. They no longer exist and the child’s case becomes public record, susceptible to Internet reporting, newspapers, and searching by prospective colleges, graduate schools, and employers.
It is therefore critical for a knowledgeable attorney to do everything possible to help keep the juvenile case from being transferred to adult court in Greenwich.
Benefits of an Attorney
The most valuable service that a Greenwich juvenile lawyer can provide a client is to work quickly to have it designated or handled non-judicially. The more the case can stay off the radar of the state’s attorney, prosecutor, district attorney, and the judge, the more likely the arrest can get wrapped up in juvenile court and closed out quickly.
An experienced lawyer knows how to do this in a way that keeps the matter off a juvenile’s record and ensures that the child is not set up for unfavorable results. When a parent or guardian and the child go into Stamford Superior Court for a Greenwich juvenile arrest alone, they run the risk of agreeing to terms and conditions that may not give the child the best possible outcome. That includes long periods of probation, unnecessary and onerous drug testing, alcohol testing, anger management counseling, and curfew restrictions.
An experienced Greenwich juvenile lawyer knows how to avoid those unnecessary conditions. Many times, restrictions like that cause more headaches for the parents and are something to avoid. A seasoned attorney will be able to assist an individual in keeping their case in juvenile court and ensuring it is not transferred to adult court in Greenwich.