Utah Juvenile Crimes Attorney

Utah Juvenile Crimes Attorney Serving the Entire State

You may be the parent of a troubled youth, and that may mean you need a Utah juvenile crimes attorney.  You may be the parent of a teenager who has simply made a stupid mistake.  Whatever the juvenile crime, our criminal defense attorneys can help.  Call our defense lawyers at 801.413.1753 today to schedule a free consultation.

Utah juvenile crimes attorney
Juvenile crimes in Utah require a good defense attorney.

Juvenile courts and charges brought in those courts are quasi-criminal, meaning they are criminal in nature, but at the same time they’re not.  For example, when a minor is brought into a juvenile court with criminal charges the minor does not plead “guilty” or “not guilty”; instead, he will “admit” or “deny.”  Additionally, there is no right to a preliminary hearing in a juvenile criminal case.  Likewise, there is no jury trial in juvenile cases.  The differences with juvenile courts are enough that when looking for an attorney you look for someone who has plenty of experience in juvenile courts, like a Utah juvenile crimes attorney at Salcido Law Firm PLLC.

Some Common Juvenile Crimes

In Utah the most common criminal acts committed by minors involve drugs and alcohol.  Other common crimes include theftassault, and forcible sexual abuse of a child.  Such crimes are prosecuted in juvenile courts.  Utah’s juvenile courts have more discretion and authority over the accused than do regular district courts.  The juvenile court judges are able to require more of the juveniles to ensure that they won’t appear back in court.  They can also come up with interesting and creative penalties.  For examples, we have appeared before one juvenile court judge who makes the minors who appear in her court room read a book and prepare a book report for her.

In some cases the youth can be prosecuted as an adult and then all of the penalties that are attached to criminal prosecutions of an adult come into play.  Minors are not tried as adults very often, but in homicide cases and aggravated assault cases the chances of being tried as an adult increase greatly.

Not a Drop

You may need a Utah juvenile crimes attorney for Not a Drop, a common offense. In Utah anyone under the age of 21 is prohibited from ingesting even a single drop of alcohol.  If someone under the age of 21 years has a drop of alcohol and then gets in a car and drives, the police can impound the car and cite the minor for unlawful consumption of alcohol and not-a-drop DUI.

Automobile Theft

There has been an increase of late of teenagers stealing items out of cars for which you may need a Utah juvenile crimes attorney.  If your teenager has been charged with such a crime make sure to call us.  These types of charges can result in significant and severe penalties.

Salcido Law Provides Juvenile Defense Services

If you would like to speak to an attorney about your son’s or daughter’s pending juvenile criminal charges call us at 801.413.1753 or email us so you can come into our office and sit down with an experienced Utah criminal defense lawyer.


 The Juvenile Court Act of 1996

Juvenile Courts in Utah were established by The Juvenile Court Act of 1996 which can be found in Utah Code 78A-6-101 et seq.  That law sets forth the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts and what cases they have primary and exclusive jurisdiction over.  It also sets forth what powers the courts have to remove children from their home and place them in detention; when kids can be taken into custody; when warrants can be issued for the arrest of minors; and, other relevant information pertaining to the administration and powers of juvenile courts in relation to juvenile criminal charges.  This should be the first thing you consult if you’re dealing with a juvenile court case.


Juvenile Court Contact Information

Juvenile courts throughout the state are their own courts and they may be in their own locations or in the same location as district courts.  They have their own clerks.  Some of those courts’ contact information are listed below.

Salt Lake Juvenile Court
450 South State St
P.O. Box 140431
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-0431
(801) 238-7700

Orem Juvenile Court
99 East Center Street
Orem, UT 84057
(801) 764-5820

Weber County Juvenile Court
444 26th Street
Ogden, UT 84401
(801) 626-3800

St. George Juvenile Court
206 West Tabernacle
Suite 125
St. George, UT 84770
(435) 986-5730


NOJOS

Juvenile sex crimes often require that the defendant undergo an evaluation to see what type of a threat, if any, he may be.  The type of threat is divided into levels known as NOJOS levels.  NOJOS is the Utah Network on Juveniles Offending Sexually.  NOJOS has established protocols and standards for youth who engage in sexual misconduct and has divided it up into eight different levels, level one being for the least serious of offenders and generally requires the minor to undergo outpatient psychosexual education.  Level eight is for the most serious of offenders and requires the minor to be in secure care and to undergo serious correctional treatment.

If your child is facing sex crimes charges in juvenile court, chances are the judge will order your child to undergo an evaluation to determine the level of NOJOS treatment that may be required in his case.  If you would like more information about how NOJOS may apply to your child, give us a call and we’d be happy to give you a free consultation.


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