A Las Vegas juvenile crime court is a unique judicial facility with it own means of handling offenders. Its primary purpose is to help correct a juvenile offender’s actions, iit has no jury, and its penalties are not as punitive as regular courts. Commonly, these courts handle minor cases like petty larceny, vandalism of public property, or driving without a license, which have relatively minor penalties that most defendants can manage with.
However, there are rare instances where the full penalty may be too much for a juvenile defendant to handle. In such cases, the defendant may have to consider accepting a plea deal. Plea deals provide juvenile defenders with a way to avoid the full penalty if they are convicted, although they have to make some concessions to the prosecution in return. There is a reason why juvenile defense attorneys only suggest this move as a last resort.
Before considering the prospects of a plea deal for your Las Vegas juvenile crimes, you have to consider several factors that can affect you in the future.
Plea Bargains in a Juvenile Law Context
Generally speaking, the Nevada Revised Statutes defines plea bargaining as an agreement between the prosecution and the accused whereby the accused agrees to plead guilty or enter a plea of no contest to one or a few of the charges poised against him or her in exchange for reduced penalties, a shorter prison sentence, or in the case of a group crime, witness protection. Plea deals do not offer a chance for the total elimination of penalties, however, and the defendant will still have to serve time and pay restitutions where applicable.
In the case of juvenile offenses, the plea deal focuses on making the defendant admit that he or she committed the crime, in exchange for foregoing the need to go to court, as well as reduced penalties. In some situations, after the plea bargain has been finalized the defendant will not have to go through one of a group of juvenile correctional programs, either just attending a youth program, providing community service, or staying at home under close supervision by a guardian or parent. There may not be a need to go through all these at once if it is stipulated in the plea.
To Plea or Not To Plea
As stated earlier, plea deals require concessions on the part of the defendant in order to go through. While most of these concessions may be benign, the overarching issue is that agreeing to a plea deal automatically amounts to a guilty verdict in a person’s legal record. For a minor, this can have devastating effects for his or her future; his chances of achieving a decent college education, getting stable employment, and receiving other benefits become slim the moment that people see the court records. There has been some pushback against plea bargaining in juvenile courts because of this matter.
Conversely, a plea deal provides a defendant with a chance to avoid more severe penalties in the short term. A reduction in fines and time spent in correctional programs may be expected. For more serious juvenile crimes, there may be less time spent in a juvenile detention facility, or the time spent may be reduced to the aforementioned youth programs instead. For some youths who cannot afford to spend an extended period in a Las Vegas juvenile court, accepting a plea deal is a tempting prospect.
Always Consult
A plea deal is one of those binding legal agreements that have long-term repercussions for the defendant. Its outcomes can either be good or bad, and in some situations, it can be a mix of both. Remember that while it does handle some of the immediate problems that come with juvenile crime conviction in Las Vegas, it does not totally eliminate the long-term issues, like the aforementioned guilty mark on the defendant’s legal record.
Above all else, the defendant must consult closely with their juvenile defense attorney before making any drastic decisions. The lawyer has the most experience when it comes to handling these situations, and he or she has a better grasp of how the defendant is currently faring. Never go against what your defense lawyer advises you to do; if he or she believes that going through with the trial and denying the plea deal is the best course of action, take it. However, just remember to ask your lawyer about why a particular action should be taken so that you can understand its bearing on your case.
In the end, a plea bargain for juvenile crime in Nevada is still a double-edged sword; the only difference is which edge is sharper. Consider your options carefully before agreeing to any plea deal, and work closely with your juvenile crimes lawyer to help you make an informed decision.