Has a child in your family been busted for drug possession? Here’s what you should know about juvenile laws….

For the most part, every state has separate prosecution and sentencing procedures for minors. This is to allow them a chance to clean up their act and give them a second chance at life. However, that doesn’t mean that juveniles can get away with committing crimes.

Drugs should be legalized according to many but for now they keep criminal defense lawyers in Alexandria, VA very busy. 

If you saw the movie Gridiron Gang with Sean Porter (as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson). In that movie, almost all the characters were juvenile criminals in some sort of school camp for children. Now these may have been children but they were older teenagers as well. Their crimes were almost all gang related. You do not have to be an adult to be locked up, sometimes children have to be locked up as well.

They are punished and do face consequences for their wrong doing too. It is just that these consequences may, and usually differ, from those that would have been handed to an adult under similar or the same circumstances. Here are some inputs from criminal defense lawyers in Alexandria, VA who explain the consequences juveniles (persons under the age of 18) face for drug possession.

A drug possession charge can either be deemed a misdemeanor or a felony charge. This is determined by a number of factors that include the quantity of the substance in possession, whether there was intent to sell, the classification of the drug (was it a schedule I narcotic?) and some additional aggravating charges such as proximity to school grounds.

These same factors also apply to juveniles possessing drugs when considering how to charge, prosecute, and sentence them which Alexandria, VA criminal defense attorneys know all about that.

Simple Possession of Illegal Substances

In cases where a juvenile is found to be carrying small to moderate amounts of marijuana on person or within his/her property, or when they have prescription pills without a prescription, the juvenile in question will most likely be charged with juvenile drug possession, in the opinion of criminal defense attorneys in Virginia. The charges can vary in the case of driving under the influence of drugs.

Knowledge of Possession

When arrested on suspicion of possessing a drug, a juvenile is innocent until proved otherwise. Not only do the prosecutors have to prove that the juvenile was in possession of the drug(s) but they are also required to establish that the juvenile did indeed know and was aware that they drugs were in his/her possession.

Alexandria, VA criminal defense lawyers point out that this does not mean the juvenile can get away by saying he or she did not know the drugs were there. Prosecutors can almost always prove under the circumstances that the suspect was indeed carrying the drugs knowingly.

This is just pathetic and wrong.

Consequences for Juvenile Drug Possession

These penalties may vary slightly from state to state but are more or less the same throughout the country. Some of the most common punishments or penalties for juvenile drug possession include drug counseling, probation, diversion, and detention.

If you or someone you know is facing juvenile drug possession charges and want to know how best to defend yourself then we strongly urge that you reach out to a salient Virginia criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. Your legal pro will be able to navigate you through the legal process and ensure that you receive the best possible outcome.

Criminal-Defense.USAttorneys.com did not exist when Gridiron Gang was made but it exists now. Use it! Legal help can easily be secured now via the Internet.