There is nothing that is more surprising than finding out that your child has been stealing your prescriptions and selling drugs at school. You know your child, and you know that they’re not a bad person. They simply had a lapse of judgment, and you wonder if they...
Are 18-year-olds really adults? The Effects of the ‘Raise the Age’ Legislation
The “Raise the Age” legislation will take effect in October of 2021. It will positively impact the lives of countless teens under 18 for years to come. The legislation allows for the raise of the maximum age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 17 to 18, prohibits the...
Minor in possession: What kinds of penalties could be faced?
As a parent, the last thing you want to hear is that your child is in trouble with the law. However, if this happens, it’s critical that you step in to provide them with as much assistance as you can. Minor in possession charges are every bit as serious as they sound....
Can ‘playing doctor’ lead to criminal charges?
Children are inherently curious, and that curiosity extends to their bodies. It was once almost universally understood that when very young children were caught “playing doctor,” they were simply going through a developmental stage. That’s not how things work these...
Juvenile justice programs help teens bounce back from a mistake
The teenage years are culturally notorious for being a time of non-compliance among young adults and difficulty for parents and other authority figures trying to help them through this tumultuous time in their lives. Teenagers tend to think very little of adults and...
Did you know that juveniles could be placed on a sex-offender registry?
It’s surprising to hear it, but juveniles can actually be placed on sex offender registries. Despite the fact that a minor may not fully comprehend what they’ve done or could be falsely accused, it’s still possible for them to end up on the registry. Using the...
What parents and teens should know about sexting
Most teenagers don’t realize that “sexting” -- the practice of sending sexually explicit pictures or messages to their romantic interests -- can send them to prison. In Michigan, sexting involving a minor is considered child pornography. Here’s something that many...
Often mainly parents suffer for disabled child on sex registry
When courts hand down sentences for sex offensives to people with intellectual disabilities, it is instead their parents or guardians who often suffer the consequences. Because the convicted person sometimes cannot understand the court’s rules and cannot afford the...
Teen sexting on the rise
There have been multiple reports stating that sexting (sending sexually explicit words, pictures or videos via text) went up among teens. One study adds that one in seven teens under the age of 18 sends sexts. It said that one in four teens under the age of 18...
When can a juvenile be charged as an adult?
For decades, a 17-year-old accused of a crime in Michigan was always treated as an adult offender rather than as a juvenile. Starting in October of 2021, that will no longer be the case. A new law that raises the age of criminal responsibility to 18 was signed by...
