October 2013

Juvenile Court Hearings: Must Read Facts

In Georgia, every county has a juvenile court that deals exclusively with juvenile offenders. Unlike adult courts, juvenile courts are governed by a separate juvenile code. These courts are based on the principle that juvenile offenders should be rehabilitated, rather than punished. To this end, judges make decisions based on the best interests of the child and strongly encourage parental involvement in the child’s case.

A juvenile offender is someone under 17 years old who has been charged with a delinquent act or a status offense. A delinquent act is something that would be a crime if committed by an adult, while a status offense is only a crime when committed by a juvenile (for example, being a runaway). A complaining witness – who may be a police officer, a school official, or an ordinary citizen - signs a petition describing the basis of the charges. Generally, juvenile court hearings are scheduled fairly quickly, within a month or two of the charges.

Since the goal of juvenile courts is to rehabilitate young offenders, the judge’s role during the hearing is not to determine guilt. Instead, the judge determines whether the juvenile committed the act, and what course of action should be taken to ensure he or she becomes a rehabilitated member of society. During the hearing, evidence will be presented and there may be witnesses who testify about the events in question. Juvenile offenders have the right to an attorney and should retain a lawyer to represent them. However, unlike adult trials, press and spectators are typically not allowed to view the proceedings, unless a judge allows it. Juvenile hearings are also conducted exclusively by the judge, without a jury present.

Dealing with charges as a juvenile offender can be intimidating. Contacting an experienced juvenile defense attorney is essential to ensure you and your loved ones are protected. In addition to hearings in juvenile court, similar issues can also arise during school board disciplinary hearings. To learn more about what happens in these types of hearings, please read next week’s installment of my newsletter. In the meantime, I welcome your questions and comments on this topic!

Motivation and Inspiration

I am really enjoying using Pinterest lately for following social trends, and it is a great source for inspirational quotes.  As a small business owner, motivating myself and staying positive day in, day out, is critical! Here are a few of my favorites this month.

"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."
-----Earl Nightingale

"Nothing happens until you decide. Make a decision and watch your life move forward."
----Oprah Winfrey

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
------Maya Angelou