Long Island Juvenile Crime Lawyer Protecting the Rights of Minor Defendants in Nassau
Anyone can face consequences for committing crimes on Long Island—even minors who are under the age of 18. In New York, children who are seven years of age or older can be brought to court for committing a crime.
If you or your child has been accused of committing a juvenile crime, it’s important to understand what to expect. The way that the case is handled—and the penalties they could face—will depend on how the minor is categorized by the state. There are several different categories that a minor may fall under, including:
- Juvenile Delinquents
- Juvenile Offenders
- Youthful Offenders
- Adolescent Offenders
What is a juvenile crime in New York?
In New York, a juvenile crime generally refers to a criminal offense committed by a minor under the age of 18. In New York, the legal system treats young offenders differently depending on their age and the type of offense. Some cases are handled in Family Court as juvenile delinquency matters, while more serious offenses involving older teens may be handled in criminal court under the state’s “Raise the Age” laws.
What Happens When a Juvenile is Charged With a Crime in New York?
When a juvenile is charged with a crime, the case may be handled in Family Court or a specialized youth part of criminal court, depending on the age of the minor and the severity of the alleged offense. The goal of the system is often focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. The process may involve:
- Arrest or issuance of a court appearance ticket
- Detention hearings to determine whether the minor can return home
- Court appearances before a judge
- Possible diversion programs, probation, or placement in a juvenile facility
What Are Juvenile Delinquents?
A child between the ages of 7 and 17 who commits a crime may be classified as a juvenile delinquent if it is determined that the child could benefit from supervision, treatment, or placement. If you are considered a juvenile delinquent, your case will be handled in family court. You are not at risk of facing jail time in a juvenile delinquent case. Instead, the court will focus on providing you with the supervision, treatment, or placement services you need.
What Are Juvenile Offenders?
Any 13, 14, or 15 year old child that is accused of committing a violent or serious felony in New York is considered a juvenile offender. If you are classified as a juvenile offender, your case will be heard in the Youth Part of the Supreme Court or County Court.
Juvenile offenders will face serious penalties if convicted, however the penalties will be less serious than those imposed on adult offenders.
Some cases involving juvenile offenders are transferred to family court. If this happens, the juvenile offender would be considered a juvenile delinquent.
What Are Youthful Offenders?
A minor is not categorized as a youthful offender until the sentencing stage of their case. You may be categorized as a youthful offender if:
- You were between the ages of 14 and 18 at the time the crime was committed.
- You have no prior felony convictions.
- You have never been classified as a youthful offender before.
It is up to the judge to decide whether or not you are categorized as a youthful offender. If you are considered a youthful offender, your criminal record will automatically be sealed, which means you technically will not have a criminal record. You will not have to report your conviction when applying for jobs or educational opportunities. Because of this, it is in your best interest to fight for this classification at sentencing.
What Are Adolescent Offenders?
Any 16 or 17 year old who is accused of committing a felony crime in New York is considered an adolescent offender. Cases involving adolescent offenders will begin in the Youth Part of the Supreme Court or County Court. The case will either remain in the Youth Part or be transferred to a family court.
If it remains in the Youth Part, the minor will be treated as an adult. However, if the minor is found guilty, the judge must take their age into consideration when determining an appropriate sentence.
If the case is a non-violent felony, it will most likely be transferred to family court. After this transfer, the child will be treated as a juvenile delinquent rather than an adolescent offender.
Will A Minor’s Criminal Record Impact Their Future?
A minor’s criminal record may or may not impact their future depending on how they are classified by the juvenile justice system. Juvenile delinquents will not have criminal records, so their offenses will not affect their future. If a judge classifies you as a youthful offender, your criminal record will be sealed, so it will not impact your future.
If you are not a juvenile delinquent or youthful offender, you could carry a juvenile criminal record into adulthood.
Can a juvenile go to jail in New York?
In most cases juveniles are not sent to adult jail. Instead, courts may order probation, counseling, community service, or placement in a juvenile detention or residential facility designed for minors. However, older teens accused of serious felony offenses may face stricter penalties and placement in secure juvenile facilities depending on the circumstances of the case.
What defenses are available in juvenile crime cases?
Defenses in juvenile crime cases depend on the specific allegations and evidence involved. Possible defenses may include:
- Lack of evidence or unreliable witness testimony
- Mistaken identity or false accusations
- Violation of the minor’s constitutional rights during questioning or arrest
- Lack of intent to commit the alleged offense
How do I Find a Juvenile Defense Lawyer Near Me?
To find a juvenile defense lawyer near you, search for a criminal defense attorney experienced in representing minors in juvenile delinquency and youth offender cases. Review law firm experience, attorney credentials, and client reviews, confirm the lawyer regularly handles Family Court and juvenile criminal defense matters, and schedule a case evaluation to discuss the situation and possible legal options.
How Much Do Nassau County Juvenile Crimes Defense Attorneys Cost?
One of the first questions that may cross your mind is, “How much will a Juvenile Crimes defense lawyer cost?” The answer to this question can vary depending on a number of factors, including the complexity of the case, the severity of the criminal charges, and the attorney’s experience in criminal law.
More complex cases involving serious crimes will require more of your attorney’s time, which means these cases will typically cost more than less serious offenses.
Juvenile Crime defense attorneys usually charge flat fees for their legal services. Most attorneys charge a flat fee to handle pre-litigation matters and another flat fee if the case goes to hearings or trial.
Nassau County, Long Island, NY, is not the place to “Price Shop” for a Juvenile Crimes defense attorney. If you do that, you risk making a life-altering mistake that will haunt you forever. If a law firm charges less, always ask yourself the reason why they are a “Budget” law firm.
4 Reasons You Should Hire The Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC As Your Nassau County Juvenile Crimes Defense Attorney
1) LIFELONG JUVENILE CRIMES DEFENSE ATTORNEY
Gianni Karmily is a lifelong juvenile crimes defense attorney serving Nassau County, Long Island, New York. His legal career has been dedicated to defending individuals accused of crimes and protecting the rights of people facing juvenile crimes prosecution.
Unlike attorneys who begin their careers representing the government before transitioning into private juvenile crimes defense, Gianni Karmily has developed his professional experience from the juvenile crimes defense side of the justice system. His defense experience began before he became an attorney. While attending law school, Gianni served as an intern for the Public Defender’s Office at the Legal Aid and Defender Association in Detroit, Michigan, gaining firsthand experience defending individuals accused of juvenile crimes offenses.
After returning to Nassau County, Long Island, New York, Gianni dedicated his practice to juvenile crimes defense litigation and the representation of individuals facing juvenile crimes charges. His practice encompasses the defense of individuals accused of a broad range of juvenile crimes offenses, including DWI and DUI-related offenses, hit and run, assault, domestic violence, larceny, theft, drug crimes, weapons offenses, traffic-related crimes, white-collar crimes, and other misdemeanor and felony charges.
Gianni’s practice is centered on New York juvenile crimes defense, New York Penal Law, Vehicle & Traffic Law, Juvenile Crimes Procedure Law, constitutional advocacy, juvenile crimes litigation, and protecting the rights of the accused. His defense-focused experience provides an operational perspective on juvenile crimes cases that is centered on identifying weaknesses in the government’s case, challenging evidence, examining investigative procedures, and determining whether constitutional or procedural issues may affect the prosecution.
Depending on the circumstances of a particular case, juvenile crimes defense representation may involve Fourth Amendment issues, search and seizure, suppression motions, unlawful searches, unlawful stops, probable cause, evidentiary challenges, procedural violations, constitutional defenses, and challenges to the sufficiency of the government’s evidence.
There is a natural advantage to an attorney you hire who has not been on the prosecution side because they have a totally different mindset not susceptible to institutional bias, which makes you subconsciously conditioned to think in a certain way and accept certain things that could put your client in peril.
A lifelong juvenile crimes defense attorney develops what can be described as aggressive skepticism—an active approach to questioning allegations, scrutinizing evidence, challenging assumptions, examining police and investigative procedures, and determining whether the prosecution can establish every element required to prove the charged offense. Overall, the ability to challenge authority and the juvenile crimes justice system as a whole is a core component that distinguishes juvenile crimes defense attorneys who have practiced exclusively on the defense side from those who spent part of their careers doing the opposite—prosecuting cases and putting people in jail.
With more than 10 years of exclusive juvenile crimes defense experience, the distinction is straightforward: Gianni Karmily is a juvenile crimes defense attorney whose professional identity is built around defending the accused. Juvenile Crimes defense is not a secondary practice area or a recent transition from prosecution to private practice. It is the focus of his legal career.
2) DIRECT ACCESS TO GIANNI KARMILY
Gianni Karmily is the principal attorney of the Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC. Clients facing juvenile crimes charges in Nassau County have direct access to the attorney responsible for their representation.
A juvenile crimes defense case should not be routinely passed from one attorney to another or from one paralegal to another without consistent attorney involvement. Gianni remains directly involved in the important aspects of each representation, including court appearances, case updates, client questions, evaluation of juvenile crimes charges, review of available evidence, and defense strategy.
Direct access means that the attorney defending the case maintains firsthand knowledge of the client’s circumstances, allegations, procedural history, legal issues, and potential defenses.
Gianni also regularly works with other experienced juvenile crimes defense attorneys, legal professionals, investigators, and other experts from different backgrounds when a particular case would benefit from additional experience or specialized knowledge. This allows the firm to maintain direct attorney involvement while also drawing upon additional resources when appropriate.
For individuals accused of a juvenile crimes offense in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, direct communication with the principal attorney is an important part of the juvenile crimes defense process that our firm does not take lightly.
3) LIMIT NUMBER OF CASES
The Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC limits the number of juvenile crimes defense cases it accepts each month so that each client receives individualized attention and Gianni can dedicate the time necessary to develop a thorough defense without cutting any corners.
The firm does not approach juvenile crimes defense as a high-volume process. Each juvenile crimes case requires an examination of its specific facts, allegations, evidence, procedural history, and applicable New York law.
Limiting the number of cases allows Gianni to dedicate adequate time to:
- Understanding the specific circumstances of the client’s case.
- Reviewing the juvenile crimes allegations and available evidence.
- Identifying potential constitutional and procedural issues.
- Evaluating applicable New York juvenile crimes laws.
- Investigating potential defenses.
- Communicating directly with the client.
- Preparing adequately for court appearances.
- Developing an individualized defense strategy.
- Pursuing an appropriate resolution based on the facts and circumstances of the case.
4) OFFICE LOCATED STEPS AWAY FROM THE NASSAU COUNTY COURTHOUSE
The Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC has offices located steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse, placing Gianni Karmily and his juvenile crimes defense practice immediately next to the courthouse where many Nassau County juvenile crimes matters are handled.
For a juvenile crimes defense client, having an attorney’s office steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse provides practical benefits throughout the representation. Juvenile Crimes cases involve arraignments, court appearances, conferences, hearings, motions, plea proceedings, compliance appearances, and trials, depending on the charges and circumstances of the case.
The firm’s proximity makes it convenient for clients to meet directly with juvenile crimes defense attorney Gianni Karmily before or after court proceedings, discuss developments in their case, review important legal issues, and communicate with Gianni when court-related matters arise.
For clients who may have multiple court appearances throughout a juvenile crimes case, having their attorney’s office steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse can also reduce unnecessary travel between the courthouse and their attorney’s office. It provides a convenient, easily accessible location for attorney-client meetings before or after proceedings.
For a person searching for a Nassau County juvenile crimes defense attorney, the combination of a lifelong focus on juvenile crimes defense, direct attorney access, and an office located steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse provides a direct connection between the attorney, the client, and the local court system.
Schedule A Case Evaluation Regarding Your Juvenile Crime Case Today on Long Island
Have you been accused of committing a juvenile crime? If so, it’s important to seek legal representation from experienced juvenile crime attorney Gianni Karmily as soon as possible. Fighting your charges is the only way to protect your future. To schedule a confidential case evaluation with the Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC, call our Great Neck office at (516) 630-3405 or our Hempstead office at (516) 614-4228.
