What You Should Do If Your Teen is Arrested
Most parents would prefer never to receive a surprise phone call from the police informing them that their teenage child has been arrested. Even the thought of such a thing would probably send many parents of teenagers into panic mode. But the reality is that sometimes it happens and we should be prepared to deal with it in as calm and effective a manner possible.
If you ever find yourself in this situation (and hopefully you don’t), I am going to outline the steps necessary for the hours and days that follow the arrest of a teenager to ensure the best outcome for everyone.
*This is contributed content.
Remember that your child has legal rights.
For young people and their parents, visiting a police station or speaking with authorities can be an intimidating and frightening event. While it is generally recommended that you cooperate with law enforcement, sometimes just answering the simple questions could lead your child into more trouble. Even if your teen believes they are doing the right thing by attempting to clear up any misunderstandings, what they say can be used against them if the situation were to escalate for any reason. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what rights your child has if they are ever arrested.
Remain polite and respectful throughout the process.
When a minor is arrested, they are under no obligation to provide information to law enforcement officers other than their name and address. If your child is hesitant to answer any other questions, they should decline to respond in a polite manner while maintaining respectful decorum throughout the process. Situations like this can quickly cause emotions to escalate and tensions become high making it more difficult to control emotional outbursts. It is so important for everyone to remain as calm and composed as possible to avoid further aggravating an already bad situation.
Seek professional support.
If your child has been arrested and charged with committing a crime, it is important to keep in mind that a criminal charge does not always mean that a crime was actually committed. Of course, minors can and do break the law, but sometimes teenagers find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong crowd and guilt by association enters into the picture. However, for any guilt to be proven, the burden is on the prosecution team to provide indisputable evidence that a crime was actually committed by the person charged.
If you ever find yourself in this type of situation, you would want a team of criminal defense attorneys you can depend on to get the best outcome for your child. Your child’s defense team is responsible for disputing evidence and creating a reasonable doubt so that charges are lessened or dropped altogether. For minor charges, it may be tempting to act as your child’s attorney rather than hiring an experienced criminal lawyer. It is important to keep in mind that the United States criminal law system is very complex, made even more so when a minor is charged with a crime. Therefore, it is always recommended to hire a professional, specifically a Juvenile Lawyer who is adept at defending criminal charges against children and teenagers.
Having a criminal record as a minor will definitely impact your child’s future. However, to err is human and children make mistakes that deserve forgiveness which is why most juvenile records will be expunged after a certain amount of time has passed. In general, arrests or other charges that occur after the age of 16 will remain accessible for longer which could limit employment and other opportunities.
So if you ever do receive that dreaded phone call, remaining respectful and calm as well as consulting with a qualified attorney will give you the best possible results and help to mitigate any long term damage.
Have any of you ever found yourself in a situation like this? What did you take away from the experience?
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Link Parties.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
8 Comments
Cris A Santos
This is any parent’s fear. I have never been in a situation like this and I hope never be in one. Thank you for the tips and advice. Cris
http://www.photosbycris.com.au/?p=14671
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Cris, thanks so much for reading. I hope I never find myself in a situation like this either. My kids are still a bit too young, but it is good to have some information to fall back on for those just in case moments. I hope you are having a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
No I haven’t. Good tips.
I taught inside the school at Juvenile Hall in San Francisco for a decade.
A couple of other tips are to make sure that you respond to all calls from the probation officer. Attend all court hearings (I actually know of a couple of instances when the court was going to release a kid but no parent/guardian showed up to the hearing). If this is a one-time deal, make sure that the court is aware (and bring proof) that the kid regularly attends school (judges like that).
Remember the court has up to 72 hours to bring the child to court for the first appearance ( weekends, holidays and other days the court is out of session don’t count).
Just some of the stuff i learned
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Patrick, thank you so much for sharing your experience and this valuable information for anyone who may have a child in this situation. I was a little hesitant about sharing a post like this thinking it maybe didn’t fit into my whole blog vibe, but then I figured someone out there reading may benefit from this information. I am so glad that you have experience in this area and could share more helpful information. I hope you are enjoying the weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
I hope I don’t ever have to remember these tips but I appreciate you sharing them. I do have two teen boys though!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I hear you, Kathrine! I was hesitant to share this post, but then I figured you never know who might need the information! I hope neither of us ever have to remember these tips!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kimberly
Shelbee, this is a great post. Hubby and I tell our 14-year-old these very same words. We watched When They See Us together and made sure he understood all of the illegal tactics that were used against the Central Park Five. Thank you for sharing this on Traffic Jam Weekend! It is my fave feature for this week’s party that goes live on Thursday at 5:00 pm CST.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh wow, Kimberly, thanks so much! I was actually hesitant to share this post because I was thinking I didn’t have an audience for this topic. But then I figured you never who reads what’s out there and you never know who might benefit from a post like this. I am really glad that I went forward with publishing it. Thanks so much for the feature!
xoxo
Shelbee