Ways a Juvenile Record Can Last a Lifetime

Parents have no shortage of fears. They worry their children will mess up in school, get bad grades, meet the wrong boy or girl, and they worry about things like kidnappings, school shootings, and just about every other sort of horror that can be imagined. Perhaps one of the oldest fears is the fear that a child will fall into the wrong crowd and make a life-altering mistake. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, or other temptations, today’s youths have almost unlimited access to information through the Internet. Unfortunately, for many of those same reasons, a single mistake can haunt a child and follow them for the rest of their life.

Lobo Law, LLC is committed to making sure youthful offenders get a second chance. While the prosecutor’s office in Las Vegas will generally consider leniency for first-time offenders, there are a lot of snares in place that can make a deal less valuable than it sounds at first. If your child has been arrested and charged with a crime, it’s not the time to “teach them a lesson.” It’s time to get them the help they need so that later, once they’ve grown up, they’ll have a fighting chance at a future. Talk to a lawyer before agreeing to anything. Just consider a few of the ways a juvenile record can follow a child for life.

College Admissions 

A teenager with a criminal record is going to have a very hard time competing for college admissions in today’s competitive field of applicants. In fact, it’s practically a guarantee that if a teenager has a criminal record, they are going to be limited in college options.

Military Service 

There was once a time when youthful offenders would run to the Army recruiter and sign up for the military. A few years of military life, and these young men and women may have corrected bad behaviors. Today’s military, however, has little interest in teens with a record. A drug problem, alcohol charges, or a serious crime involving dishonesty will all be almost certain reasons to be rejected.

Jobs

Maybe your teen will be able to just put off college for a few years while working at a good blue-collar job, right? Think again. If a background check is required, it may be a nonstarter. Likewise, for jobs in healthcare, public service, and any sort of government position, a criminal record could likely be an absolute bar.

How a Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help

You and your child may be tempted to take a promising offer from the prosecutor, which allows your teen to come home and avoid time in jail. But unlike most contracts, a plea deal doesn’t put the fine print on the paper. The fine print is in the statutes that apply. It may seem like a good deal to plead guilty to a public intoxication charge to avoid the penalties of a DUI, but the charge may still weigh heavily on their future. Likewise, it may sound great to have your teen go through a teen diversion program, but this can also have drawbacks that aren’t fully explained.

Before you agree to anything or sign anything that could have a lifelong impact on your child’s future, call Lobo Law, LLC to speak with an experienced juvenile crimes defense lawyer in Nevada.

Resource:

clarkcountynv.gov/jjs/Pages/default.aspx