A local high school student was recently charged with taking a samurai sword to school on the bus. A situation that is all too familiar in the juvenile justice system. Teenagers often make decisions that aren’t well thought out, and when young egos get involved with pride of ownership, what started as a simple “show-and-tell” idea for friends, becomes a legal nightmare.
While we’re not sure of the particulars in this case, we do know that young men and women sometimes take items to school to show them off to their friends, not because they want to inflict harm or scare someone. That cool camping knife, neat gift from a grandparent or popularity seeking prop starts off innocently, and it’s not until the legal system gets involved that the juvenile realizes they may have broken one or more laws.
Fortunately, there are opportunities to impact a juvenile criminal charge and how it gets handled by prosecutors, if an experienced juvenile criminal defense attorney gets involved in the process. If your child, a friend’s child or a family member is facing charges, or the possibility of being charged,contact JR Law right away. The call is free, 757-455-9277, and you can take comfort knowing there is an advocate on your child’s side.