Juvenile Crimes

Pennsylvania Defense Attorneys

Any crime that can be charged against an adult can be charged against a child. However, in most cases, children go through a completely different juvenile law system. In this system, attorneys can fight charges or negotiate plea bargains that take detention off the table.

To truly help a child charged with a crime, it takes a lawyer experienced with juvenile courts. At Loughran, Mlakar & Bilik, our lawyers have extensive experience helping people with juvenile court proceedings throughout southwestern Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, Greenburg, Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, etc. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation.

Juvenile Delinquency

In the juvenile system, a juvenile defendant is charged with "delinquent act." A child is not found guilty; he or she is found delinquent. This covers a wide range of offenses, such as:

• Theft and Burglary: Retail Theft, Theft, etc.
• Assault
• Drug charges
• Weapon charges

Also, in a detention hearing, the Judge or Juvenile Master will determine whether a child will be detained in a juvenile detention center pending his or her hearing. This is similar to a bail hearing for an adult. It is vital to get a juvenile lawyer who can argue for the result you want for your child.

In the juvenile system, you have a delinquency or adjudication hearing and a disposition hearing, which is akin to a sentencing hearing. An attorney can negotiate a resolution with the District Attorney or argue before court during disposition on behalf of the juvenile. One of the most important reasons to hire an attorney is to gain his or her experience in negotiating a potential plea.

Children Charged as Adults

Sometimes minors will be charged in adult criminal court for serious offenses such as Robbery, Aggravated Assault, etc. But judges have the discretion to move these cases back to the juvenile system, where punishments are less severe. Our attorneys can file motions to transfer cases to juvenile court.

Contact Us

Contact the attorneys of Loughran, Mlakar & Bilik to set up a free, confidential consultation.