Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog

Tennessee juvenile lawyers understand that being accused of any crime is a stressful and frightening occasion. Juveniles should always secure skilled and knowledgeable counsel who can help guide you through the juvenile justice process, provide zealous representation, and help minimize the impact on your child's life. If your child has been charged with committing a crime, contact a Tennessee juvenile defense attorney.

The maximum age for a juvenile offender varies from state to state, but typically is seventeen. All governmental bodies prosecute various crimes committed by juveniles, from traffic violations to felonies like aggravated robbery and homicide. If your child has been charged with a crime, it is essential that you seek legal counsel from a Tennessee juvenile defense attorney to preserve your child’s rights and future.

All parties involved in the juvenile justice process must adhere to certain procedures to ensure a fair trial. Although juvenile court is often less formal than regular court, the procedures are still complicated. It is important to have a Tennessee juvenile defense lawyer to navigate the particulars of the juvenile justice system on behalf of the accused. A Tennessee juvenile defense attorney can explain the procedure and take some of the mystery out of this unfamiliar situation.

Children involved in juvenile court matters have many of the same rights their parents would have if they were accused of a crime. These rights include the right to remain silent, the right to cross-examine witnesses against them, and the right to be represented by an attorney. Our juvenile attorneys work in Sevierville, Knoxville, Maryville, Loudon, and Newport.

Tennessee theft attorneys understand that joyriding is typically committed by juvenile offenders, most of which are male. Someone may commit joyriding because it is believed to be exciting, stimulating, gives status, and so on. Juveniles often commit this offense to rebel against authority, due to peer pressure, and for other reasons. Many offenders commit joyriding in a reckless manner that threatens danger to public safety.

According to Tennessee law, a person commits the offense of joyriding who takes another's automobile, airplane, motorcycle, bicycle, boat or other vehicle without the consent of the owner and the person does not have the intent to deprive the owner thereof. Tenn. Code Ann. 39-14-106 (2007).

Joyriding typically occurs when someone borrows another’s car without permission, but plans on returning the vehicle. Joyriding closely resembles the crime of theft. The difference between joyriding and theft is that no intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property exists with joyriding.

Joyriding is a Class A misdemeanor in Tennessee. Class A misdemeanors are punishable by a maximum of eleven months, twenty-nine days incarceration or a fine not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars, or both. Joyriding is taken very seriously by the courts because it typically poses a threat to public safety. If you or someone you know has been charged with joyriding, contact a Tennessee theft lawyer. A Tennessee criminal lawyer can advise you of your rights and legal options. Our office handles these charges in Knoxville, Sevierville, Morristown, Greenville, Johnson City, and Chattanooga.

Tennessee juvenile attorneys assist individuals under the age of majority with delinquency charges. Tennessee juvenile lawyers handle these cases in Knoxville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Maryville, Dandridge, Newport, Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, Greenville, and the Morristown areas. Juvenile attorneys understand that delicate issues are involved when dealing with children and the legal system.

Parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, and friends become worried when a juvenile is charged as being delinquent. Whether the charges are due to drugs, driving behavior, or violence, juvenile attorneys can help. The legal system recognizes to a degree that children inevitably make mistakes due to inexperience. Certain mistakes should not follow the child into adulthood and be used against the child for future purposes.

There are many issues involved when a child is charged as being a delinquent. The term juvenile delinquency generally refers to criminal acts committed by individuals that have not yet reached the age of majority. Juvenile delinquent acts could involve violent or non-violent behavior. There is much scholarly debate as to whether the state should punish these acts criminally.

All states treat juveniles differently. The way it works in Tennessee is that all delinquent proceedings will start out in a special court known as juvenile court. The case may never leave this special court and be ultimately resolved there. A resolution in juvenile court has legal implications that may benefit the child for future purposes. Not all the cases will be resolved in juvenile court and many will be transferred to criminal court where the child will be treated like an adult depending upon the circumstances.

Whether or not a case gets transferred to criminal court is complicated. If you or someone you know are charged with delinquency in Tennessee, contact a Tennessee juvenile lawyer. Tennessee juvenile attorneys help guide the child through the legal process while attempting to get his or her life back on the right path.