Teens getting themselves into trouble is nothing new. Unfortunately, the days of a police officer just calling a teen’s parent for things like underage drinking are gone. Nowadays, teens often face serious consequences for the crimes that they commit, even if the crimes seem relatively minor. If your teen is facing criminal charges, you should take the situation seriously. Here is why.
Teens Can (and Do) Go to Jail
Many people are under the misconception that teens are given lighter sentences when they get convicted of crimes. Even though this does happen sometimes, you shouldn’t assume that your teen only faces community service or probation.
Whether or not your teen faces jail time depends on the crime that was committed, your teen’s previous criminal record and various other factors. However, teens can and do go to jail in Minnesota and elsewhere throughout the country.
Not only could your teen face the potential of being sent to a juvenile facility, but depending on their age and the crime, they could even be sentenced to serve time in adult jail or prison.
Of course, you want to do everything you can to avoid this penalty. Even juvenile facilities are often dangerous, and any jail or prison is a high-stress environment. If your teen is sent to an adult facility, the risks are even more serious.
Your Teen’s Education Could Be Affected
You should also think about how your teen’s education could be affected by a criminal conviction. For one thing, if your teen is sent to jail, they might not receive the same level of education that they receive at their regular school.
However, lower-quality education in jail isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. Even if your child is not sent to jail for their crime, their future education could be affected. For example, many college applications ask applicants if they have ever been convicted of a crime. If the answer is yes, then your teen could be passed over for other applicants who might not have criminal records.
If your teen plans on applying for scholarships to help pay for college, you should know that these can be affected by a criminal record as well. If you don’t want your teen’s education to be affected by a misstep, work with a lawyer to help fight the case.
Criminal Charges Can Affect Your Teen’s Future
Unfortunately, you don’t just have to worry about your teen being affected by their criminal charges during the high school and college years. Depending on the nature of your teen’s crime, their life could be affected for many years to come.
For example, a young person with little to no job experience has a hard enough time finding a job in today’s world. Having a criminal record can make finding a good job even more difficult. Additionally, when your teen gets older and is ready to look for an apartment or rental home, their criminal record might come back to bite them then, too.
The truth is that a criminal conviction can stay with your teen for the rest of their life. Even though you might be upset about whatever indiscretion your teen might have committed, you probably don’t want their entire future to be ruined because of it.
As you can see, teen crimes aren’t something that should be taken lightly. If your teen is facing criminal charges, seek legal representation that you can count on. Contact us at Mesenbourg & Sarratori Law Offices, P.A., today. Then we can tell you more about our legal services and how we can help your teen.
