Home » Overland Park Criminal Defense Lawyers » Overland Park Juvenile Defense Lawyers

If your juvenile child is facing criminal charges or a criminal investigation in or near Overland Park, you need a defense attorney with specific experience defending juvenile cases. Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s Overland Park juvenile defense lawyers will protect your child’s rights and support your child’s interests. We are tested trial attorneys with ample experience navigating the juvenile criminal defense process. 

Experienced Overland Park Juvenile Defense Attorneys

Not every criminal defense attorney is properly qualified to represent a child charged in a juvenile criminal proceeding. Juvenile criminal proceedings involve significantly different procedures than those applicable in adult criminal cases. A lawyer who is unfamiliar with juvenile adjudications can become overwhelmed quickly. 

JHC’s Overland Park juvenile criminal defense attorneys have extensive experience in juvenile court. Our Overland Park juvenile defense lawyers have been successfully defending juvenile cases for decades, and one of them serves on the Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board. When you choose JHC, you can feel confident your child’s case is in capable hands.

JHC’s Juvenile Criminal Defense Lawyers Defend All Kinds of Juvenile Charges

Juvenile offenses are crimes committed by individuals under the age of 18. JHC’s experienced Overland Park juvenile defense lawyers have represented juveniles charged with all manners of juvenile offenses. We defend cases charging:

• Alcohol Offenses, like driving under the influence or minor in possession
• Drug Offenses, including possession, distribution, and paraphernalia
• Sex Offenses, including rape, sodomy, solicitation, and indecent liberties
• Violent Offenses, like battery, assault, manslaughter, and murder
• Property Offenses, such as theft, damage to property, shoplifting, or trespassing

And more. We represent clients whose cases remain in the juvenile system as well as juveniles facing charges in adult criminal court. 

Juvenile Criminal Defense Lawyers Who Are There When You Need Us

JHC’s Overland Park juvenile defense attorneys regularly defend juveniles charged in Johnson County, Leavenworth County, and Wyandotte County district courts. But you should not wait to contact an attorney until after your child is charged. If your child is facing a criminal accusation in Overland Park, Leawood, Prairie Village, Lenexa, Olathe, Shawnee, Kansas City, or the surrounding area, contact JHC immediately. 

Our juvenile criminal defense lawyers can help during the investigation stage. We advise juveniles regarding their constitutional and statutory rights, evaluate known evidence and uncover evidence in support of a defense, and ensure that our juvenile clients have capable and steadfast counsel throughout the legal process.

Juvenile Defense Attorneys Who Care 

Your child means everything to you. JHC’s Overland Park juvenile criminal defense attorneys know that. We approach each juvenile matter with the compassion, care, and commitment we would want afforded to our own children.

If you need assistance with a juvenile criminal matter, don’t delay. Call one of our Overland Park juvenile criminal defense lawyers today.

FAQs 

My child is charged in juvenile court in Kansas but turns 18 soon. Will the case be transferred to adult court on my child’s 18th birthday? 

No. The case will stay in juvenile court even after a child turns 18 provided the alleged incident occurred before the child’s 18th birthday.

The State filed a “waiver motion” in my child’s juvenile case. What does that mean? 

The State may opt to file a motion to waive a juvenile to adult prosecution in some cases. Once the motion is filed, the juvenile has a right to an evidentiary hearing to make the State prove by preponderance of the evidence that the juvenile should be waived to adult prosecution. The presumption is that the juvenile will not be prosecuted as an adult. 

The court will consider 8 factors in determining whether a juvenile should be prosecuted as an adult. The 8 factors are listed in K.S.A. 38-2347 and include considerations such as the seriousness of the alleged offense and whether the protection of the community requires prosecution as an adult; whether the alleged offense was against a person or property and whether it was committed in an aggressive, violent, premeditated or willful manner; the juvenile’s adjudication history and whether there are other cases pending against the juvenile; the juvenile’s sophistication and maturity; and whether there are rehabilitation programs available to the juvenile.

What does EJJP mean? 

EJJP means Extended Jurisdiction Juvenile Prosecution. EJJP means that the juvenile will stay in juvenile court, and if adjudicated, will receive a juvenile sentence. However, the juvenile will also receive an adult backup sentence that will only be imposed if the court later rules that the juvenile has violated a condition of the previously imposed juvenile sentence. The court must find that the juvenile will be subjected to EJJP at an evidentiary hearing, and the presumption is that the juvenile will not be subjected to EJJP.

What does matrix eligible mean? 

Some adjudications are eligible for the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex located in Topeka, Kansas. The Juvenile Placement Matrix is a grid that the court must use when sentencing an adjudicated youth to the correctional complex. The Matrix takes a juvenile’s adjudication history and the offense severity level into consideration in determining the length of a Correctional Complex sentence. A Correctional Complex sentence can be modified within 60 days, so it is important to file a motion to modify sentence if you want the court to consider a sentence reduction.

My child is not yet 18 years old but is charged in adult court. Why? 

Juveniles who are under the age of 18 can be charged with traffic offenses in adult court. Some traffic offenses that will be charged in adult court include: driving under the influence (DUI), driving while suspended, and fleeing and eluding. 

What is a detention hearing, and will my child receive a bond? 

After a charge is filed against a juvenile, the court will review detention and determine if it is appropriate to release the child while the charges are pending or if the child should be remanded to the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) while the case is pending. If the court decides to release the juvenile, the court may impose special conditions, such as house arrest, case supervision, mandated evaluations and/or treatment, and drug/alcohol testing.

My child is being accused of a crime, and the police want to talk with him. What should I do? 

Law enforcement officers can try to speak with a juvenile without a parent present if the juvenile is at least 14 years old. But the juvenile does not have to speak. Like any adult accused of a crime, a juvenile has the right to remain silent or to have an attorney present during questioning and remain silent. Statements include oral and written statements and all social media posts, including SnapChat. The juvenile should not speak to anyone about the accusations (including parents, other family members, law enforcement, teachers, friends, etc.) until after speaking with an attorney. All statements to anyone can be used against your child.