Posts Tagged ‘Crime’

Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Child Suffer Severe Criminal Penalties

January 10th, 2012

Adolescent boys and girls are in a unique position when it comes to crime because they are normally seeking acceptance from their friends. Unlike adults, young teenagers are inclined to commit crimes out of fear of rejection from their peers. Unfortunately, a large percentage of juveniles will “dabble” in some form of crime or another; however, not all of them get caught. When they do get caught, they run the risk of damaging future college scholarship opportunities as well as opportunities for employment.

Long ago, children and teens were prosecuted the same as adults. Fortunately, today, America’s courts recognize how important it is to focus on rehabilitating a juvenile, as opposed to subjecting them to severe penalties. Although most juvenile case will be tried in the juvenile courts, the more severe cases may be tried as an adult instead. When this happens, a juvenile will face the same punishments as an adult would in the adult system.

What types of cases are considered more serious? Certainly violent crimes are more serious than something such as vandalism or petty theft. If your child committed a gang related crime, or was involved in a serious felony such as manslaughter or murder, then you have a lot to be concerned about.

Common juvenile crimes include: vandalism, theft, DUI, disorderly conduct, assault and battery. However, juveniles can commit serious violent felonies, the same as an adult, especially if they are associated with a gang. These crimes may include: sex crimes, rape, molestation, arson, manslaughter, weapons offenses as well as murder.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2009 juveniles were involved in 9% of all murder arrests, 15% of all violent crime arrests, 14% of forcible rape arrests, 25% of burglary arrests, 24% of larceny-theft arrests and 44% of arson arrests. It’s obvious that juveniles claim a significant percentage of all criminal arrests in this country, and that as parents we have a lot of work to do if we want to reverse these seriously negative statistics.

Juvenile crime is a very real concern for the American society as a whole. When one looks at the statistics, they don’t lie. Juveniles are committing up to 25% or more of major crimes and in many cases, juvenile offenders are only beginning their criminal career. Anything that can be done by the parents and the system to re-direct the juvenile offender and steer them away from committing further crimes will not only provide hope for a brighter future for the young adult, but make our society safer in the future.

As a parent, it is crucial to consider your child’s best interests when it comes to sentencing. Although it may seem fair and just to let your child “learn a lesson,” you want to consider what may happen to them if they are exposed to other violent offenders. It has been proven that youth who are jailed with other adult inmates are far more likely to recommit a serious offense then those who are given rehabilitative treatment. Common penalties for a juvenile offense include:

  • Fines (typically paid by the parents)
  • Probation;
  • Out-of-home placement in a detention facility;
  • Cognitive behavioral training or counseling; and
  • Restitution (again, usually paid by the parents).

Most parents have a deep concern for their child’s emotional and physical well-being, as well as their future. Although there is no excuse for committing crimes, the sooner you take action to limit your child’s consequences, the better off they will be. Statistics have proven time and again that youth respond far better to rehabilitation and treatment, then if they are punished as an adult.

Although America’s youth is bound to make mistakes, as a parent it’s important to realize that they need your guidance and direction now more than ever. Sometimes having a caring and compassionate parent, teamed up with a like-minded lawyer can make all the difference in the outcome of the juvenile’s case. Doing whatever it takes to keep your son or daughter out of a juvenile facility and at home where they belong, along with focusing on rehabilitation and which bad choices landed them in this unfavorable situation, will help them get back on the right track.

If your son or daughter has been charged with a crime in Minnesota, it’s absolutely crucial that you hire an attorney who is experienced in both the adult and juvenile courts. Not only that, but you want to have an attorney who has intimate knowledge of the criminal justice system as well as any alternative programs that your child might be eligible for. » Read more: Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Child Suffer Severe Criminal Penalties

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Posted in Criminal Law

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The Birth of Internet Crime

December 9th, 2011

The birth of the internet has transformed the world as we know it. It has clearly grown to astronomic proportions since it became a household name in the mid 1990′s. If you were born before 1980, you have watched the world change from using rotary telephones to iPhones. These days nearly everything can be controlled by the touch of a button.

Bills can be paid online, movie tickets can be purchased online, you can talk to your loved ones online, and you can take a complete college course – without having to step foot on campus. The possibilities of the internet are endless – and technology is changing more rapidly than we can learn to understand it.

Today, teens and individuals in their twenties are grasping and exploiting computer technology like never before. Children are already known for their marked ability to learn and assimilate information at a very young age – absorbing and utilizing the internet and computer systems are no different than learning how to build a tree fort. For some families, their 13-year-old can build an entire computer system as his father built a model car the generation before.

With the advent of the internet, came an entirely new way to commit crimes. The terms internet crime, cybercrime and computer crime are used interchangeably. Simply put, internet crime or cybercrime is a form of crime where the internet or computers are used as a medium to commit crime.

Internet crimes are vast and expansive and can include anything from downloading illegal music files to stealing someone’s identity. Cybercrime can also include stealing millions of dollars from online bank accounts to distribution child pornography. One of the most common forms of internet crimes involves identity theft which is commonly done through phishing and pharming. These methods set up fake websites (that appear legitimate) to lure unsuspecting victims. People are asked to give out personal information such as name, address, phone numbers and bank accounts. Criminals then take this information and “steal” the person’s identity.

Internet crimes are not limited to targeting the consumer; cybercrimes have gone so far as to take on global proportions. Cybercrimes can also encompass criminal activities such as espionage, financial theft, and sabotage. In May 2010, the Pentagon established the new U.S. Cyber Command, which is headed by the director of the National Security Agency (NSA), to defend American military networks. It also serves to attack the computer systems of other countries. » Read more: The Birth of Internet Crime

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Posted in Cyber Law

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