LAKE COUNTY JUVENILE COURT LAWYER
Lake County, IL Juvenile Delinquency Attorney
If your child has been charged with a crime in juvenile court, attorney Matt Hoffman understands that this can be a difficult time for you and your family. Frequently, emotions run high when a child has been charged by police with a delinquent act.
Formal courtroom proceedings can be involved, requiring you and your child to appear before a judge and prosecutor on a Petition for Adjudication of Wardship. Sentences of probation and even to the Juvenile Department of Corrections (now known as the Department of Juvenile Justice) can be imposed. This can be a confusing and stressful time for you and those you love.
Juvenile Delinquency Court in Vernon Hills
Attorney Matt Hoffman has significant experience working in Vernon Hills, Illinois juvenile court. As a result, he appreciates and understands what may be your worries and concerns. Hoffman's experience in juvenile court comes from the nearly two years he spent working there as a prosecutor, and from the work he continues in juvenile court today.
Whether your child is charged with a misdemeanor or a felony, your child should have an effective legal advocate who will protect his or her rights. These rights include all of the same rights that apply to adults: the right against self-incrimination, the right to counsel, and the presumption of innocence.
Matt Hoffman offers effective, caring and compassionate advocacy for your child. He strives to assist his clients in identifying the causes of their delinquent behavior and in moving forward in positive ways with their lives. He also works hard to maintain effective communication with his juvenile clients and their families in order to keep them integrally involved in the legal decision-making process.
Matt Hoffman has experience handling the entire range of juvenile crime. Cases he has handled in juvenile court include the possession of cannabis (marijuana) and other drugs, domestic battery, retail theft, residential burglary, vehicular theft, arson, weapons offenses, sexual misconduct, and reckless homicide. He has also handled cases filed against "habitual juvenile offenders," cases of excluded juvenile jurisdiction, and cases that originated in juvenile court but were subsequently transferred for prosecution to adult court.
What is as critical as Matt Hoffman's experience in handling a wide array of juvenile charges is his familiarity with the personnel who participate in the juvenile court process. These people include juvenile police officers, guardian ad litems, probation officers, social service agency case workers, school personnel, school liaison officers, treatment providers, and employees of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Hoffman's familiarity with all aspects of the juvenile justice system gives him the perspective necessary to develop creative and beneficial resolutions of their cases for his clients.
Juvenile Court Lawyer Advocating Child Rights
If your child is charged or is going to be charged with a crime in juvenile court, Matt Hoffman is here to help protect your child’s rights and to look out for your child’s best interest. You can contact him toll free at (877) 360-1880 for a free initial office consultation to discuss your child’s case.
All formal charges of juvenile delinquency brought against minors under the age of 17 in Lake County, Illinois are handled and adjudicated at the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Justice Complex located at 24647 North Milwaukee Avenue, Vernon Hills, Illinois. Frequently, after a juvenile has been charged with a criminal offense, a juvenile police officer from the arresting agency will release the minor to his or her parents or guardian(s) and forward the police report and other information to the Juvenile Justice Complex in Vernon Hills. This process is called the "referral" of juvenile charges. In Vernon Hills, the documentation typically is reviewed initially by a member of the Department of Juvenile Probation. At that time, the probation department may determine that the charges should be handled informally without formal filing in juvenile court and without formal prosecution being initiated. In other situations, the arrest materials and reports will be fowarded to the Juvenile Division of the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, also located at the Justice Complex in Vernon Hills, for review of formal charges by a prosecutor. If the State's Attorney's Office authorizes a charge, it will be placed into a formal "Petition for Adjudication of Wardship" and attached to a Summons to Appear in court. This Summons and Petition will be directed to the minor and his or her parents or known guardian(s). The Summons and Petition typically are delivered by the Lake County Sheriff's Police. A date to appear in court will be stated on these documents. At the first appearance, the minor and his or her parents or guardian(s) will be advised by the judge presiding over the case of various integral and basic rights. If a case is not handled via the referral process, a minor who is arrested may be immediately detained by the arresting agency and transported to intake at the Minard E. Hulse Juvenile Detention Center, which is also a part of the Justice Complex and is located adjacent to the juvenile courtrooms. A minor so detained must be brought before a judge for a detention hearing, at which time the judge will hear from the minor's attorney and consider a number of factors in deciding whether the minor shall be held in custody pending further proceedings in juvenile court. © 2007-2009, Matthew T. Hoffman P.C.
