Juvenile Criminal Rights in Utah
The old adage of kids will be kids has changed over the past 50 years. More and more older children and teenagers are viewed with a suspicious eye from the older members of the community. Many believe that minors are up to no good and think that a pack of teenagers only spells trouble for other people. Instead of kids doing immature and stupid things, kids are now committing crimes, or at least the immature things that they do are now considered crimes. Many minors are charged with property crimes and drug crimes in Utah. Some are even charged with violent crimes. The Supreme Court of the United States has said that minors have the same legal rights as adults but in practice that doesn’t always turn out to be true. Juveniles’ right are often trumped on by the system so it is important in any juvenile criminal case that parents of an accused minor hire a Utah juvenile criminal defense lawyer.
Detention Hearings in Utah Need a Juvenile Lawyer
One area of juvenile law that parents and juveniles are often unprepared to deal with are detention hearings. A detention hearing is a court procedure before a juvenile court judge to determine if a minor should be detained in juvenile detention until a case commences or until the court believes it is safe to do so. Minors can only be admitted to juvenile detention centers if they have committed a felony or 3 misdemeanors. A detention hearing must be given within 48 hours of entering a detention facility but often it is more than 48 hours later depending on weekends and holidays.
Utah State law dictates the criteria that a judge must use in determining if a minor should continue detention in a detention center. If a judge determines that the minor would pose a threat to himself or the community, or if the judge believes the minor will not attend mandatory court appearances, then the juvenile may continue to be detained. There is not bail procedure in juvenile law in Utah. Making a good argument at a detention hearing is the best chance for a parent to get the child released. But parents and children should not go through the detention hearing alone. They should have a Utah juvenile criminal defense lawyer making arguments for them.
Protect Your Child’s Legal Rights
Minors in detention have the right to an attorney at the detention hearings but the state is not required to provide one to the minor until after the hearing. Parents should understand then that it is important for them to obtain a juvenile criminal defense lawyer before the detention hearing to protect their child. If your child has been arrested and has a detention hearing soon then call a Utah juvenile criminal defense lawyer from Salcido Law Firm today. Our attorneys will protect your child’s legal rights from the moment of arrest until the case is resolved. Our consultations are free so call us today at 801.413.1753.
