Anyone who pleads guilty to a criminal charge or winds up convicted in court has to deal with the consequences of a criminal record. Although at first glance, criminal records may seem like a minor inconvenience, in reality, it may infringe on someone's freedoms or...
Juvenile Crimes/Delinquency
Why do you need an attorney for a juvenile criminal offense?
The juvenile justice system exists in part to protect minors who make questionable legal decisions from lifelong consequences related to those mistakes. The focus on these programs is generally to minimize the penalties for minors. Juvenile justice is usually about...
Why lifer juveniles are being resentenced
Minnesotans may have heard that people whose crimes were committed when they were minors and who were subsequently tried as adults and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole are receiving resentencing hearings. Some of these juvenile lifers are being...
Can I erase my juvenile criminal records in Minnesota?
It is just a myth that juvenile court and conviction records in Minnesota are either automatically sealed or expunged at the age of 18. The truth is actually much more complicated. What is expungement? An expungement can hide your criminal records from public viewing...
What happens if a child pleads guilty to a crime in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, most children who are charged with crimes go through juvenile court rather than adult criminal court. Before a juvenile court judge will accept a guilty plea from minor defendants, the judge will first advise them and make certain that they understands...
Has your child been accused of a crime?
When a child is charged with a crime, a different set of rules will apply to the legal proceedings. In our state, those rules are called the Minnesota Rules of Juvenile Procedure. In some respects, the law and punishments associated with conviction are a little bit...
Underage drinking trend won’t change legal severity
With the holidays in full force, many adults will enjoy (or endure) the company of their family and friends while sipping on their favorite seasonal alcoholic drinks. Kids watch their parents and how they enjoy the holidays. Drinking habits can increase a child or...
Burglary allegations and a juvenile’s future
It is a reality of life: juveniles sometimes make mistakes. Some such mistakes, however, could potentially jeopardize a youth's future. Take, for example, mistakes that lead to a juvenile being accused of having committed burglary. Being charged and convicted of...
SCOTUS revisits juvenile sentencing issue
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a case involving juvenile offenders. The decision will affect hundreds of offenders convicted as minors and currently serving life sentences without parole. This is the fourth case since 2005's Roper v. Simmons...
What is certification?
Depending on the severity of the alleged crime, the court may certify a juvenile defendant as an adult. If a child is successfully certified, the juvenile court will lose jurisdiction over the criminal matter, and the case will be transferred to adult criminal court....