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Juvenile Cases

Naples, Florida, Juvenile Crime Defense Attorney

Too often kids are rushed through the Florida juvenile justice system. Even some parents encourage their children to plead guilty and take their punishment. However, a juvenile criminal record can have long-lasting or even permanent ramifications that are only discovered with hindsight.

If your child was arrested for a crime, I offer a free initial consultation in order to offer you an honest, straightforward assessment of the case and your options. I have been a criminal defense lawyer in Southwest Florida for more than a decade, and I have extensive experience in juvenile courts in Collier and Lee counties. For four years, I handled nothing but juvenile cases as a public defender.

State of Florida has its own separate bureaucracy called the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to handle cases involving a minor. Unfortunately, the system tends to presume all children guilty.

The state attorney’s office, together with the DJJ, will attempt to dictate what happens to a child, including whether he or she is detained or sent to a commitment program, which is essentially a residential center for juveniles. Sometimes juveniles get a public defender, and sometimes they don't. If parents don't hire a defense attorney, many kids will go through juvenile court without any legal representation whatsoever.

I was born and raised in northern New Jersey, and growing up I was harassed by cops fairly routinely. Now as a seasoned juvenile defense attorney, I see more of the same: kids going to court without attorneys and having settlements jammed down their throats.

You should never force your child to enter guilty plea without a full understanding of the consequences this could have on your child's future. As your lawyer, I will keep an eye on the big picture and make sure your child's constitutional rights are protected. I will evaluate the strength of the state's cases to see whether the state even has enough evidence to making a finding of juvenile delinquency. Even if the government has a strong case, I will pay specific attention to mitigation and protection of the juvenile record.

I handle all types of criminal offenses committed by a minor, including:

Free attorney consultation: If your son or daughter was arrested for a crime, contact me, Collier County juvenile defense attorney David T. Agoston. I have an office in Naples and a satellite office in Immokalee. Se habla español.