Juvenile Court Lawyer Wood County, Ohio

Do you have a child or teen who is facing charges in the Wood County Juvenile Court in Bowling Green, Ohio, or perhaps in the Lucas County Juvenile Court? Are the police asking to speak to you about your child? In either case, you need a Juvenile Court Lawyer. Attorney Schuman served as a Prosecutor in the Juvenile Court for several years. He has the requisite knowledge and experience to handle the unique complexities of all Juvenile Court matters.

Not all Criminal Defense Attorneys are Juvenile Court Lawyers. In other words, Juvenile Cases are governed by a completely different set of procedural rules than those applicable in a Criminal Case.

In Juvenile Court, children and teens are not classified as Criminal Defendants. However, this in no way shape or form takes anything away from the seriousness of the matter. While juveniles cannot be “convicted” of a crime, they can be found delinquent or unruly, and they often face the same or more serious penalties that an adult would face for the same offense. For instance, even first time juvenile traffic offenders can lose their license! Also, while adults often “waive” or simply pay their traffic tickets, Juveniles Traffic Offenders must appear in court.

The best practice is to speak with Juvenile Court Lawyer before talking to the police or going to court. Sometimes, a lawyer can prevent the case from actually going to court.

If your child is charged, they will have to appear at the Juvenile Court for their arraignment. At the arraignment (or initial appearance), both the guardian and juvenile are required to appear. The juvenile will be given the opportunity to either “admit” or “deny” the charges. If the charge or charges are admitted, “disposition” or sentencing will follow. If the charges are denied, the court will set the matter for a Pretrial Conference. At the Pretrial Conference, Attorney Schuman will be given the opportunity to discuss your child’s case with the Prosecutor and offer legal defenses and/or mitigating factors that the court should consider.

Attorney Schuman is often able to resolve Juvenile Cases by placing the child in various pretrial programs, negotiating reduced charges or a lesser sentence, or even getting the charges dropped all together. If a Pretrial agreement cannot be reached, the matter will be set for Trial. In juvenile court, nearly all Trials are heard before a Judge or Magistrate. A Jury Trial is generally not an option.

Due to the complexities of juvenile court cases it is strongly recommended that you contact a lawyer immediately. Attorney Schuman is available to discuss your child’s case now. Please call for your Free Initial Consultation (419) 352-9999.