Understanding the Criminal Justice System
Parents generally envision their beloved child’s high school and college tenures defined by rich friendships, academic accolades, family vacations, and athletic achievements. Few can fathom that dating violence will become part of their child’s story.
Yet, the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) states that about 10% of teens experience physical dating violence. What does a parent do when their child becomes part of this alarming statistic?
Physical Altercations Between Young Partners May Fall Under Indiana’s Adult or Juvenile Dating Violence Laws—Either Case Is Serious
Depending on your child’s age and the details of a violent incident between them and their partner, your teen (or young adult) may face criminal penalties under juvenile or adult statutes.
Statutes like Ind. Code (IC) 34-26-5-2—which allows someone to seek a protection order against an unemancipated minor—blur the lines that define juvenile and adult criminal statutes in Indiana. The state takes cases involving violence seriously and may charge a minor as an adult.
Though it is preferable that the state files your child’s alleged battery or assault in the juvenile justice system, a juvenile conviction may still have severe ramifications for their immediate and long-term futures.
A conviction for an adult offense may have even more impactful ramifications, including legal penalties that affect a person’s entrance into university and future job prospects. Some adult-level offenses your teen or young adult may face because of a bout of dating violence include:
Depending on the details, these (and other dating violence offenses) may be high-level misdemeanor or felony offenses that carry jail time, substantial fines, and prison time as possible legal penalties.
Whether Your Child Faces the Adult or Juvenile Justice System, They Need a Capable Defense
Though dating violence among young Indianans is more common than many realize, the frequency of these offenses does not make prosecutors more lenient. A prosecutor does not know your child as you do. The prosecutor may not give much weight to honest claims that passion and youthful recklessness led to a serious lapse in judgment by an otherwise good-hearted individual.
Your child needs and deserves a capable criminal defense. Our team will develop a detailed legal strategy and fight to avoid a conviction. Contact Razumich & Associates today via email or by calling (317) 449-8661.
