What should I do if my child was arrested? 39 Answers as of November 07, 2011

It sounds like your son is being charged with armed robbery, which is a very serious offense. If it was my child, I would get his butt to a defense lawyer’s office ASAP. This is a very serious charge for which he could be locked up. Don't mess around with this - get to a lawyer for a consultation.

Because he is charged with a felony offense, he could be sent to TYC. He needs alawyer to represent him, and NOT the same lawyer as the other kid.

My advise to retain experienced defense counsel. This is a felony robbery case. The good news is that the case will be charged out in juvenile court where leniency is shown towards youthful offenders. The case is weak from a defense standpoint and the best strategy now is for him to show remorse and make positive steps toward rehabilitation while the case is still pending.

It is likely that he will be charged with burglary and assault with a deadly weapon. These are both strike offenses which means a subsequent serious or violent third strike charge could lead to a minimum life sentence. Your son is facing very serious charges. You should hire an attorney immediately to try and either reduce charges or have them dismissed.

He'll probably get Youthful Offender treatment and not do time.

Taking a cell phone at knife point? That's robbery plus the use of a weapon. He's looking at up to six years in custody. He needs an attorney. Either one of your choosing that you hire or the court will appoint a public defender to represent him. First offender or not he's looking at some serious charges.

He is likely to be charged with Robbery and use of a deadly weapon.

Juvenile court provides free public defenders to anyone under age. The parent does not have to pay as it is based on the income of the minor and since most minors do not have income it is free.

Hire an aggressive juvenile criminal attorney in your area. Juvenile crimes are very serious and can affect him for the rest of his life. It is imperative that you hire the best attorney you can afford.

He will be charged in juvenile court. Most of the cases result in supervision and minor consequences, however when an allegations of a weapon are present, things sometimes get more serious. He may face extended supervision, time in a juvenile facility, and other consequences. Make sure he is represented by an attorney.

You need to hire a lawyer for him. What you described is an armed robbery which is quite serious even as a juvenile.

You really need to get your son an attorney. Strong-arm robbery (with a deadly weapon) is serious. It is a felony charge, a conviction of which (even if jail time is minimal or possibly none) can have very long lasting impact upon your son. It can affect employment opportunities and college opportunities. Get him an attorney.

This is potentially a serious charge. Your son needs legal representation. The initial court appearance is an Arraignment. Your son either admits or denies the offense. Assuming that this case is charged as a felony, your son may obtain court appointed counsel or private counsel. If the court appoints counsel for your son, you will be asked to make financial disclosure to determine what amount you are expected to contribute.

Get a lawyer to help defend him if you can afford one.

If the case is in juvenile court, he will automatically be appointed a public defender to represent him before the court. You must be present, but if unable to afford private counsel, do not worry, your son will have counsel. As for an outcome, it is hard to say, but probably, after a social background conducted by the probation department, he will get probation. Of course, a lot depends on his past criminal history, if applicable.

I strongly recommend retaining counsel who is familiar with criminal defense and/or Juvenile Delinquency cases. Your son could get anything from a Consent Decree to 5 years in jail.

This is a serious matter. Your son may be charged with robbery. In addition, the knife may result in enhanced penalties. At 15, he will probably remain within the juvenile court. If the court finds that he committed the crimes as alleged, then at worst he will probably will be remanded into the custody of the CYA (California Youth Authority).

You son is a part of the millions of kids who want to be "thugs". They idolize rappers and have no impulse control, decision making ability, maturity, morals, or respect for their reputation or family name. You have not given him a good foundation of education, respect for his parents and family name, and respect for others and the law. He is a very bad decision maker and will continue to make those bad decisions unless you get him an education and counseling for many years to come. No one in their right mind would commit a Class B violent Felony for a few dollars or a cell phone. Only kids and crack heads commit armed robberies for a cell phone. First, retain a good criminal attorney, second, put him on a 10:00 curfew. Third, make him do at least 3 hours of homework every night. Explain to him that having a criminal record will prevent him from ever getting into a good school or getting a good job or career. You are probably a very nice woman who has tried to raise your son as best as you can, but unfortunately kids usually don't listen to their mothers and are heavily influenced by their peers, celebrities, and pop culture. He needs a father who will instill some discipline and set some rules to follow. That is more often a probation officer than a father in some neighborhoods where children are raised by gangs, not parents. He is eligible for Youthful Offender Treatment and if the court grants it he will not have a criminal record or go to jail. Do not use a public defender if you can afford an attorney or he may have a criminal record or go to jail. He may also violate probation over the next 5 years and that will result in a prison term. If he is arrested again the judge will not grant the YO and he will have a criminal record for life and possibly go to a juvenile facility. They are the places where kids get hardened and become criminals. If you care about your son spend a few thousand hours getting him to be an intelligent, productive, moral,and responsible adult.

He will be charged in juvenile court and the judge can hold jurisdiction over him until he reaches 18. I would imagine he would be given some type of probation rather than a confinement sentence.

You absolutely need to hire an experience juvenile criminal defense attorney. What you have described in your question is a first degree robbery accomplished by using a deadly weapon, the knife. This is a strike offense under California's Three Strikes Law. Needless to say, this is a very serious matter and your son really needs competent representation. The fact that your son has never been in trouble before is certainly helpful but in no way diminishes the seriousness of his case.

This is a designated felony so your son may be charged as an adult. Typically, New York prosecutors will be discussing with your son's lawyer a possible resolution to the case at this early stage. If no deal is worked out, then the prosecutors will present evidence to a Grand Jury to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. This is called an indictment. If your son is indicted, then his lawyer should be making motions to challenge the evidence against him. A deal can be reached at any time but if no deal is reached, the case will proceed to trial. The good news is that because of your son's age, there are many alternative sentencing options that are available that could keep him from going to jail.

Your son will first appear before an attorney referee. If convicted at trial or if he pleads guilty to the charge or a lesser charge, he will probably be placed on the juvenile form of probation which is geared more towards rehabilitation and community service as opposed to punishment. Keep in mind that juvenile adjudications are not public record and he can apply to have them expunged at age 24 provided he has nothing else on his record. Seek out an attorney for representation.

Unfortunately, your son will likely be charged with armed robbery. Having a weapon present was a huge mistake and it doesn't matter who held the knife. In Juvenile Court, the person charged, the respondent is tried before a judge. Sentencing is based on a standard range of possible consequences including incarceration in the Juvenile Department of Rehabilitation or JDR. The JDR is plainly a prison for the worst kids. It is possible but unlikely your son could even be declined, or tried as an adult. It is of the utmost importance that you hire an experienced juvenile defense attorney as soon as possible. It may be possible that your son could testify against the other kid in exchange for a reduced charge but that will be up to the assigned prosecutor. If you haven't deduced this by now, your son is in deep trouble. He should remain silent and speak to no one about this situation other than his attorney.

This is a very serious matter. The likely charge is armed robbery. This is a major felony charge. If the prosecution is inclined, your son could be treated as an adult and punished accordingly. You should consult a lawyer immediately regarding this matter. You want to ensure that your son is not treated as an adult and you want to minimize the charges that are to be brought against your son.

It may be his first time, but your son started near the top of the list of serious crimes. He is accused of armed robbery, one of the most serious crimes in the code. There will be a first appearance hearing, at which the court will decide whether there is enough evidence to go further with the charges, and will decide what to do with him between that date and trial. If you haven't hired a lawyer (and you should if you can afford to) the court will appoint a lawyer for your son. If he does not admit the act, there will be a trial. What his punishment will be depends on the judge.

Your child's case is likely in the Juvenile Court. It would only be waived through a traditional waiver, as you do not describe an automatic waiver case. One possible resolution is through diversion. If there are no other offenses on your child's record, then diversion may be possible. This will need to fit within your county's policies on a diversion case. Another possible resolution is the consent calendar. If placed on this status, then after a period of time and conditions, it could result in a dismissal. A final possibility is a standard plea or a trial. If a plea is entered into, then there will likely be probation. Any trial could be by referee, judge or jury. If convicted, the likely result is probation. There is an unlikely possibility of detention in the Youth Home or placement. Either way, the conviction would be on a juvenile record and not public. Therefore, the conviction is sealed and does not follow him into the future for most employment purposes. To see what may apply in your case, you should hire an attorney who is familiar with your county's practices.

This is a pretty serious charge and if he was an adult it would be a felony. Even as a juvenile a robbery with a deadly weapon is serious. He needs to talk to an attorney as soon as he can.

That is robbery and can be very serious, and you do not want a robbery on his record, even if "only" juvenile. You need to fight it, or else that can haunt him [for employment, federal grants. etc.] for a long, long time.