Juvenile court operates similarly to adult court but there are differences you need to know about.

First, if you have a child in juvenile court, it is extremely important that the case be kept there, even though it can be more restrictive in some ways. For instance, incarcerated minors do not have the right to bail. However, juvenile court takes a far more creative approach to punishment than adult court. The juvenile court can take into account factors such as the need for schooling, the home environment, and other social realities.

This office often works with the extended family to obtain a resolution that is in the best interest of the minor and of his family. 

If you are under 18 you are a minor in the eyes of the California justice system and any crimes you commit will be a part of your juvenile record. Your juvenile record is available to the public and is made available to various California law enforcement agencies, such as county probation departments. Crimes typically committed by juveniles include: shoplifting, drug possession or drug distribution, battery (fighting in school), petty theft, gang-related crime, arson, and vandalism. Please note that a conviction under a juvenile delinquency adjudication is not to be confused with a criminal conviction.

Sealing Juvenile Records

Having a juvenile criminal record may prevent you from getting a job, going to college, or applying to graduate school. A juvenile record may block your ability to work for the government. The Law Offices of Douglas Slain is experienced with expungements and the sealing of juvenile records.

Government agencies may elect not to hire you or not allow you to perform government work as an independent contractor. Sealing your juvenile record means you can move on in your life, allowing you to start adulthood with a clean slate.

Who is Eligible?

Your juvenile record can be sealed if:

• You are 18 or older
• You have not committed additional crimes involving moral turpitude, such as those involving drugs or sex
• You have no open civil suits against you directly related to your juvenile record's charges.
• Your juvenile case has finished its way through the system (nothing pending)
• The court believes you have been rehabilitated

Juvenile records cannot be sealed for convictions of violent felonies, such as murder, robbery, arson, car jacking, and assault with a deadly weapon.  If you were 14 or older at the time of your conviction for one of these crimes, your juvenile record cannot be sealed.

Juvenile records are not automatically sealed when you turn 18.

If you would like to have your juvenile record sealed, you will need to file a petition in the correct county's Superior Court. A hearing will be held to determine if the record can be sealed.  Five years after the record is sealed, the entire file is physically destroyed.

Who can unseal your juvenile record?

• A defendant in a civil law suit where you have claimed “defamation of character”
• Insurance companies if your record relates to motor vehicle violations
• A District Attorney, if you commit a crime that qualifies as a “strike” crime under California’s three-strikes law

It is usually worth the trouble and money to get your juvenile record sealed. This means that when you are asked “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” you can truthfully answer “No” no matter how serious your record as a minor was.

For a free , prompt, and confidential consultation,  contact the Law Offices of Douglas Slain online, or call toll-free (888) 998-5558.