Finding out that your child is involved in legal trouble can be difficult. You wonder what you did wrong when you raised them. You worry about their future and how this legal charge will affect it. You attempt to figure out where the money will come from for the legal charges. When your child is faced with a legal charge, it is important to remain calm and level headed. You will need to counsel and guide them through the process to ensure that it is handled properly. If your child is facing a theft or shoplifting charge, consider the following steps to handle the problem.
Get all of the details from multiple sources It can be confusing to hear about the negative legal actions that your child took. However, it is important to get all of the facts before taking any action. If your child is accused with theft, hear their story. Also, listen to the story of the retailer. Then, inquire about the police officer?s story. See if there are any facts that do not line up. It is possible that actions or important parts of the story were missed. You will want the entire truth when consulting with a lawyer for theft defenses.
Be honest with your child Although your child will need assistance during this legal process, you will also need to be entirely honest with them. Let them know what these charges could mean for their future. Let them know how much legal representation is going to cost. Let them know that you are disappointed in them. You are sharing this information with them in hopes that they will feel remorse and that they will learn from their mistakes. You can only hope that it turns out to be a low consequence learning experience.
Consult with a lawyer for theft defense You will want to take great care in choosing your lawyer for theft defense. You will want a caring lawyer that is also a compassionate lawyer. For example, going with a court ordered attorney can leave your child with a permanent legal record for much of their life. 68 million people in this country are living with a criminal record.
A criminal record can be detrimental to your child?s future. It can prevent them from being accepted into college, from receiving any state assistance for college, from gaining employment, and from things like voting in elections. Although it may be costly, it is important to have the highest level of legal representation to ensure that the theft charge does not affect your child?s future. Although they committed the crime, you do not want a mistake to set the pace of their entire life.
Collect statements of personality Most judges will understand that teenagers make mistakes. However, they are not willing to go lightly on a sentence if they do not believe that the teenager is sympathetic of their mistake or if others cannot prove their generally good natured personality. Collect statements from teachers, family members, and coaches who can attest to your child?s generally good behaviors. This can only help their legal case and the lawyer for theft defenses case.
Hire an expungement attorney, if necessary Sometimes court does not go as we desire. If your child is left with a criminal charge, you can attempt to have it expunged later on. In the United States, 3,944 years have been served by innocent people in prison. Since 1989 alone, there are more than 300 convictions that have been overturned due to DNA evidence. If you strongly believe that your child is innocent, or that their charge was too high, hire an expungement attorney after the consequences of the sentence have been completed.
Even with the best upbringing conditions, teenagers can still make poor decisions. Sometimes, these decisions can affect the outcome of their life. Theft is one of these poor decisions. If your child is charged with committing a theft, attempt to get the full story, hire a qualified attorney, and attempt to get their record expunged if they are charged. Do not let a simple mistake ruin their future. Instead, encourage them to learn from their poor mistakes.