Juvenile Charges in Colorado And What to Expect

Juvenile charges in the state of Colorado are not taken lightly and the consequences that come with such charges are proof for the same. Take a look at some of them:

• The juvenile offender will most probably lose all or most of his driving privileges if he is involved in a traffic related offense.
• He might be required to reside in a foster home for a varying period of time. Or he might be detained in a juvenile rehabilitation center.
• Psychological evaluation will be conducted of the offender, based on which he might be required to attend certain counselling programs, treatments, and classes.
• Also, he might be put under probation for which he will have to pay a fee as well. This will obviously be in addition to the fines and fees that the offender will need to pay.
• Moreover, the juvenile offender will have to repay the victim for some relief.
• Difficulty or inability in taking admissions in good reputed educational institutes
• Problems might arise in getting jobs, especially in the government sector.

Here are a few facts to make you a little more aware of juvenile laws of Colorado:

• The minimum age before a juvenile can be charged in Colorado’s juvenile court system is ten years of age.
• If a juvenile is charged in a juvenile court case, then he will not have any absolute right to bail. If your child has been accused of a juvenile offense. Then a juvenile defense attorney might assist you further in this and help you get your child released with a bail bond.
• When a minor (a person who is less than 18 years of age) is charged with a crime, he is considered a juvenile and is treated differently than an adult. His punishments are also different than that of an adult. But insome rare scenarios of certain qualifying crimes, a juvenile might be prosecuted as an adult. In such a scenario, he might be given a life sentence as well.

An experienced juvenile defense attorney who has handled thousands of juvenile defense cases and is specially qualified to represent children can provide effective legal representation in juvenile court. He will further suggest the best possible ways to get the criminal record of juveniles expunged or sealed. Moreover, he will be able to assist you and give you all essential information regarding juvenile laws of Colorado.

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Does and Don’t When Arrested in Colorado

If you are arrested in Colorado, then it is highly important that you remain silent and remember that you have a right to an attorney for legal guidance. However, these rights can be maintained only if you are well aware of them and use them appropriately. In case you get arrested for some reason, the best thing for you to do would be to stay silent until you are represented by a legal practitioner.

To make sure that you are represented in the court of law in Colorado and have the best legal help, it is important that you get in touch with a criminal defense attorney who can take up your case and provide you with customized solutions to get you out of legal trouble. Colorado law is an amalgamation of various complex concepts, and to make sure that they are followed in the best manner, it is important that a certified legal practitioner is always by your side during these troubled times.   

What does an arrest signify?

A person is said to have been arrested if a police officer actually takes that individual into custody. This can only happen when due to some reason he or she is entitled for an arrest and is not free or eligible to leave. Even though many people are taken to the jail after being arrested, the process of arrest itself starts much earlier. For instance, if the person is suspected of robbery and subjected to questioning which does not seem to stop, then that person can be said to be under arrest.

The Officer can Arrest a Person Only if:

•    The officer actually sees the individual commit a crime;
•    Officer has strong probable cause to believe that the individual has committed some sort of felony (crimes that are punishable by the state prison);
•    A magistrate or judge has issued arrest warrant against the individual due to some probable cause.

Stay Away from Use of Force

In majority of the states, an individual cannot use force for resisting an arrest, even in cases where the arrest do not have any probable cause. The individual using force can actually be charged with the allegation of resisting arrest or carrying out a battery on the officer. In case you think you are arrested without any probable cause, then your remedy is to contest it in the court and not on the streets.   

What to do after an arrest

Once you are arrested, you will be subjected to thorough searching, either at the crime scene or in the jail or both. If any evidence or contraband is found, it will be seized. After that, you will be fingerprinted and photographed and a record will be made for your arrest. A lot of newspapers publish these arrest records and nowadays many such arrest records are also easily accessible online. 

Every individual who is arrested for questioning by the police should be informed of all of their legal rights to stay silent and being assisted by attorney. These are often referred to as “Miranda rights”. 

Invoke your legal rights

You need to invoke your right to remain silent as well as the right to an attorney. After you have invoked these rights you should maintain silence. Many people say that they do not want to talk but soon after they start talking and say something incriminating which makes their case even more difficult in the court. Apart from telling the police about your basic information such as name, birth date and address, you should refrain from saying anything else. Do not speak to the police officers or even your family and friends about your case or discuss anything with the other inmates. 

The police are skilled at teasing out serious incriminating information from someone, and the other inmates might converse with you to find out something that they can then inform the police for securing a better legal deal for themselves. Another important thing that you need to be aware of is that all conversations that you are having in the jail with your visitors whether face to face or on the phone are being monitored and recorded. However, the conversations that you have with your attorney are private and it is only he/she who can advice you on what to say or no to say to the police.

Get Legal Assistance in Colorado

It can be stressful and unpleasant to get arrested. Sometimes people want to find release so badly that they simply think that talking things with the police or cooperating with them would help. The police officers may also give you a similar impression. However, you should first get legal assistance in  Colorado before you speak anything to the police as without doing so, your case can become more complex and it might then become difficult for you to find release. 

                

  

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