A Pennsylvania juvenile defense attorney can help with your child's case in various capacities. Fundamentally, they can help guide your child and the family through the juvenile justice system, and they can present the strongest possible defense and effort to get the best possible outcome.
The juvenile justice system, the goal, unlike the adult criminal justice system, is for treatment, rehabilitation, and supervision. The adult criminal justice system often can emphasize punishment, although there's been a shift in that regard, but despite the noble goals of the juvenile justice system, the potential consequences can be profound for both the young person and his or her family, both in the short and the long term.
The juvenile justice system in Pennsylvania is unique. There's certain concepts and terms and elements of the process that are completely different from the adult criminal justice system, so it's important to have an attorney that understands and has worked in such a capacity before on countless occasions so that they can guide you as best through the process.
Thankfully, there's various alternative resolution methods for a juvenile case, for example, where a young person would not have to necessarily be adjudicated delinquent, where it's possible to avoid that if effective steps are taken. Having a juvenile defense attorney in your child's case from as early as possible in the process will help best protect their rights and interests and can help you understand and navigate the process as best as possible.
