Juvenile Defense Lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia

However disturbing it may be, juvenile crime is on the rise here in the state of Georgia, and particularly in the city of Atlanta; this is a fact that cannot be denied. Many people however, are not aware of the extent of such crime – but it is becoming a quite common occurrence. And even more importantly, many juveniles don’t realize the legal ramifications of committing a crime while under the age of 18, and they certainly don’t understand the long term consequences that may come about as a result of their actions.

But with proper education on the subject of juvenile crime in Atlanta, Georgia, everybody can benefit. Legal professionals will be better equipped to handle, try, and defend incidents involving juvenile crime, counselors and social workers will be able to provide help and more effective methods of treatment, and parents will be able to handle the stress and personal problems that come about in their own lives as a result of their juvenile’s criminal behavior. And all of these are problems that many of us have faced for years now, with varying degrees of success. Ultimately however, the better our juveniles themselves are educated on the topic, the higher their chances are of making the right decision in the end.

By far the most common form of juvenile crime is committed against one’s property; these are typically misdemeanor offenses, and normally result in probation, community service and restitution. There are situations where these may be considered a felony, however, and these felonious property crimes include arson in the first or second degree, high jacking a motor vehicle (by a person over the age of 13), etc. According to the state of Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice (http://www.djj.state.ga.us/) there were 863 property crimes committed in the entire state – nearly 30% of all crime in the state for the fiscal year of 2006.

The state of Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice also shows us that violent crime involving juveniles is on the rise, and in the fiscal year of 2006 violent crime made up 20% of all crimes, with 592 violent crimes being committed throughout the entire state. While this total number has increased dramatically from only a year prior, it does make up a smaller percentage of overall juvenile crimes. Violent crimes that are considered felonies for juveniles include aggravated assault, aggravated battery, attempted murder, and so on.

When juveniles have been charged and found guilty of a serious crime that involves some sort of detention, they aren’t simply thrown into a cell and forgotten about like some adult prisons in the United States. Instead, the city of Atlanta, Georgia will work with any and all juveniles to provide proper education and rehabilitation while they are incarcerated.

Furthermore, juvenile detention centers typically do not resemble adult jails or prisons. Instead of being designed to be intimidating, juvenile detention centers are usually set up to provide a safe, productive environment to help these inmates make the transition into successful, law-abiding adult citizens. And in fact the typical incarceration sentence for a juvenile usually involves serving some or all of your time at a boot camp of sorts; this will help instill strong moral values in the juvenile inmates, as well as keeping them healthy, in shape, and most importantly out of trouble.

There is another big difference that really sets the adult justice system apart from the juvenile justice system – and this is the actual court process itself. In adult cases the courtroom is usually open to the public, and always involves a jury. Juvenile court cases, on the other hand are held in the utmost of privacy, and only those relevant to the case will be allowed in the courtroom. This includes the judge, prosecutor, court clerk, the juvenile and their parents or legal guardian, their lawyer and any witnesses to the case. This allows for a quicker, more efficient trial; if it even comes to that, as many juvenile cases do not.

There are indeed many differences between juvenile crime and adult crime – however, it should be taken just as serious. But with the proper measures and guidance being given to the troubled youths of Atlanta, Georgia, it is never too late to help rehabilitate our younger generations and make sure they are ready for adult life. Doing this now will help to assure that they receive this message sooner rather than later when they are sitting behind bars – and by then it just might be too late.

Despite Declining Theft Cases in Atlanta Georgia, It Is Still A Serious Problem

For the most part theft cases in Atlanta, Georgia have been slowly on the decline throughout the past few years – and this is of course a good thing. Theft can include anything from armed robbery or burglary, shoplifting, receiving stolen property, and a number of other violations. There really are numerous crimes that fall under the general, all-encompassing category of “theft”, and there are also some crimes that are similar in nature that do not constitute theft. But even with the actual number of reported theft crimes actually decreasing, some areas of Atlanta, Georgia can still be considered larceny/theft hotspots.

In fact, according to a crime report issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_05.html) there were almost 240,000 larceny/theft crimes in the entire state of Georgia in the year of 2007 alone, and there were over 40,000 reported cases of motor vehicle theft. Metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Georgia were responsible for nearly 200,000 larceny-theft cases and almost 40,000 motor vehicle thefts alone. With an estimated total state population of 9.5 million people, this means that for every 100,000 people in the entire state nearly 2,500 fall victim to theft and over 400 to motor vehicle theft; this is over 300 more than the nation’s average. Given these kinds of hard statistics, it is easy to see just how big of a problem theft is in and around Atlanta, Georgia – even if the numbers are actually lower than they were just a year ago.

Of course some of these crimes are only considered petty theft and are therefore only misdemeanors – though this still may result in a day or two in jail. Cases involving several hundred dollars (either in property value or actual cash) or more are considered grand theft, however, and may be punishable by large fines, restitution and even jail time. Either way, your record will reflect the charge – and obviously this doesn’t look good for any prospective employers. Typically if this is your first offense and it is considered petty theft, jail time is not an issue; you’ll have restitution to pay, maybe some additional fines and court costs, possibly community service and probation. If this is a second or third offense however, you may be looking at some jail time – even if your charges are all that of petty theft. With grand theft, however, jail is always a possible form of punishment that will be added on top of the other sentences imposed for cases of petty theft.

And with technology advancing as fast as it is, authorities have even been seeing brand new forms of theft emerge. Take for example identity theft, which is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation. And as you might expect, Atlanta has already seen its fair share of these cases, as well. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) reports that there are an estimated 263,000 identity theft incidents in Georgia each year – this makes the state of Georgia ranks number seven in the entire nation for number of identity theft victims per capita. The FTC also reports that the average cost of each identity theft incident costs the victim $1,000 – and with over a quarter of a million incidents happening each and every year, you can see how this total adds up very quickly. Fortunately however, because this is a growing crime it is one that is taken very seriously. As such, those who are caught may end up facing some harsh punishments.

However serious a crime like theft may be, it is always important that you are represented by a professional and experienced law firm – and that’s where the law offices of Melvin S. Nash come in. Our firm was founded right here in the city of Atlanta, Georgia over 25 years ago, and we have been dedicated to making sure you get the legal representation that you deserve ever since. If you are faced with any kind of theft charges, it’s important to understand your rights so that you can receive a fair sentence and get your life back on track as soon as possible. And if you are truly innocent of a crime, we will work with you to identify witnesses and other suspects in an effort to clear your name. With the law offices of Melvin S. Nash you can be sure that you are getting quality and fair representation in a court of law – and that is a claim that we stand behind completely.