The Law Office of Derek J. King

The juvenile court system primarily focuses on rehabilitation as opposed to punishment, and juvenile delinquency cases are actually brought under the Welfare & Institutions Code, not the California Penal Code.  For that reason, juvenile cases are not considereed to be criminal cases, and there is no right to a jury trial.  Only a judge will hear and decide your child's guilt or innocence unless your son or daughter is charged as an adult.

A typical juvenile case begins with an arrest.  If your child is in custody at the juvenile hall, they are entitled to have a detention hearing in order to determine whether or not they should remain in custody.  The detention hearing is also similar to an adult arraignment in that charges are usually brought by Probation and the District Attorney's Office at that time.

From there, a pre-trial conference or pre-trial hearing is usually set.  At this time, an offer may be made by the District Attorney's Office for your child to plea bargain the offenses he or she is charged with, or the case will go the contested hearing phase.  Other pre-trial hearings and motions may be brought before the contested hearing as well; for example, a motion to suppress evidence may be filed by the defense if some police misconduct occurred or if there is a question with regard to the minor's mental capacity to fully understand the nature of the proceedings. 

The contested hearing is essentially a juvenile court trial.  This is where all evidence is brought by the District Attorney and Defense Counsel to determine whether the juvenile is in fact guilty or innocent.  Juvenile contested hearings are similar to adult court trials except there is no right to have a jury decide which facts are true or not.  All fact finding power lies solely with the judge after the evidence is presented.   

Attorney Derek J. King began his legal career defending juveniles during Sacramento County Juvenile Court detention hearings.  From there, he served as the sole juvenile prosecutor for the Del Norte County District Attorney's Office where he prosecuted hundreds of cases and over fifty juvenile trials.  Over the past five years, Mr. King has handled hundreds of juvenile matters in Sacramento County, Placer County, and Del Norte County combined.

If your son or daughter has been accused of juvenile delinquency, do not hestitate to call Derek for a free consultation.

916.749.6445

derek@derekjkinglaw.com

Phases of the Juvenile Court System

• Arrest
• Detention Hearing (similar to arraignment in the adult Court)
• Pre-trial conference/settlement, and other legal motions and/or hearings, if relevant
• Contested Hearing (similar to trial in the adult Court)
• Disposition (similar to sentencing in the adult Court)

Call 

916.749.6445

 for a free consultation,

or email

derek@derekjkinglaw.com

Flat Rates

No Billable Hourly Fees

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