While some actions of juveniles are just teens being teens, some actions can be viewed at by the court system as going too far and move into the realm of juvenile delinquency. For teens in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas, when these actions lead to arrests and charges, the consequences can quickly add up and suddenly make the crime not worth the repercussions.
Take for example the recent case involving a 14-year-old who was arrested after taking police on a 10 minute chase. No one was injured in the chase.
The incident unfolded on Monday around 3 p.m. in Rosemount. An officer claims he first noticed the young teen when he saw a car run a stop sign. However, the teen driver refused to stop and led police on a chase. Police even rammed into the side of the car trying a “pit” maneuver, but were unsuccessful in their attempts.
It was not until the driver hit a curb and got a flat tire that he pulled over and surrendered to police.
The 14-year-old was arrested and held on suspicion of a number of traffic violations, along with auto theft and fleeing police.
Looking to the future, depending on what this teen is charged with, the consequences could end up being quite severe.
In general, when a juvenile is arrested — even if it is their first offense — no one should ever just assume the judge is going to just give them a slap on the wrist. Rather, the consequences can be quite severe and could even end up continuing to impact a juvenile into their adult years. Basically, it is important to take any charges against a juvenile seriously.
This is why it is important to talk with an attorney who has experience handling juvenile defense in the Twin Cities area in order to try and develop a program that will actually meet the needs of the teen.
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, “14-year-old driver takes cops in Rosemount on a wild chase,” Paul Walsh, Aug. 6, 2013