Can Young Adults Catch A Break In The Criminal Justice System?
The law gives judges a range of possible sentences to hand down for each offense of which a defendant might get convicted. Likewise, if the jury convicts the defendant of several separate offenses that each carry prison time, such as wire fraud and drug possession with intent to deliver, the judge might order the defendant to serve the sentences concurrently, which would mean less time behind bars, or consecutively, which would mean more time behind bars. In other words, it makes a difference if the judge gives you the benefit of the doubt, even if the jury convicts you. Of course, judges are not the only ones whose decisions affect the outcome of a criminal case; it also depends on the jurors who vote to acquit or convict, and the prosecutors, who can offer plea deals. Prior criminal convictions count against you, which means that youth can work in your favor. Sometimes the difference between an incorrigible criminal and a confused young person who has his whole life ahead of him is a matter of perspective. The best way to get the people you interact with in the criminal justice system to acknowledge your humanity is to work with a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer.
The Difference Between a Hardened Criminal and a Good Kid Who Made a Mistake Is a Criminal Defense Lawyer
In November 2024, Elijah Barney of Okeechobee was arrested for allegedly agreeing to sell an array of illegal drugs to an undercover police officer. According to police reports, Barney offered the officer LSD, MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, 2CB, and various forms of cannabis. Barney is only 20, but given the charges he is facing, his best chance for avoiding a long prison sentence is either to negotiate a plea deal by cooperating into an investigation against other possible co-defendants, or else to cast doubt on the prosecution’s evidence by arguing that the undercover investigation was unjustified. Barney is only 20 years old, but in a case like this, his age is unlikely to count strongly in his favor.
Things can go differently for adults who have only recently reached legal adulthood, though. If you are new to adulthood and this is your first interaction with the criminal justice system, you are more likely to be eligible for pretrial diversion programs, especially if the charges are for a nonviolent drug offense. Unfortunately, though, not everyone enters adulthood on equal footing in the eyes of the criminal justice system. If you got charged and convicted as an adult when you were a minor, this counts against you if you face criminal charges again when your 18th birthday is in recent memory. Therefore, it is worthwhile to hire a criminal defense lawyer for every charge, even seemingly minor ones early in your life.
Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Attorney William Wallshein has more than 41 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County. Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
wpbf.com/article/okeechobee-man-drug-bust-undercover-sting/62896533
