The 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial" and "have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence." Despite these Constitutional protections which provide Due Process for the accused, juvenile criminal defendants have historically been treated in a dissimilar fashion to adult offenders. The disparity and lack of protections were intended to benefit the juvenile defender, but there have been instances where the juvenile has been denied protections and suffered from the consequences. Call a juvenile defense attorney today to learn more!
The Citizens Voice reports that Pennsylvania joins several other states in requiring a juvenile to be represented by counsel in criminal matters. In previous years, assistance of counsel could be "waived" by the juvenile and put his legal rights and liberty in the hands of a judge. Sadly, two judges in Luzerne County were recently convicted and sentenced to jail for accepting bribes in exchange for sending juveniles to detention centers in order to keep capacity high.
If you are a juvenile and have been charged with a crime or citation, then you need to contact a Luzerne County criminal defense lawyer to ensure that your rights are aggressively protected. Whether in Scranton, Honesdale, Montrose, Stroudsburg, Tunkhannock or Wilkes-Barre, an aggressive and experienced Wilkes-Barre juvenile defense attorney can navigate you through the complicated criminal system - and will fight for your rights!
Don't risk a long prison sentence, losing a scholarship or driver's license by putting your liberty in the hands of the legal system or of an inexperienced or unavailable lawyer. Contact an aggressive and Scranton defense attorney at Rogan Law today! We are ready to protect you.