• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

17 yr old Charged w/ Grand Theft and Burglary

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

F

Fossil410

Guest
What is the name of your state? Florida

Im a 17 yr old male and i've been charged with 4 counts (4 cars) of Grand theft and 4 counts of Burglary and 1 count of possesion of Burglary tools.
Making a total of 9 felonies..

This was my first offense and after being arressted I was completely honest with the cops and actually took them to all of the cars that we took items from and they have sucessfully recovered all of the items. I've been told that because this was my first offense I got this Judicial waiver which waives me from getting probation. They released me from JAC (Juvenile Assesment Center as soon as i was proceesed) to my parents. I have a court date for Oct. 5th and I want to know what my likely punishment will be.
I was told that because I was so cooperative with cops, that will go a long way in court. My counselor told me I will probably do something like teen court...someone please give me some good news!
 


HomeGuru

Senior Member
Fossil410 said:
What is the name of your state? Florida

Im a 17 yr old male and i've been charged with 4 counts (4 cars) of Grand theft and 4 counts of Burglary and 1 count of possesion of Burglary tools.
Making a total of 9 felonies..

This was my first offense and after being arressted I was completely honest with the cops and actually took them to all of the cars that we took items from and they have sucessfully recovered all of the items. I've been told that because this was my first offense I got this Judicial waiver which waives me from getting probation. They released me from JAC (Juvenile Assesment Center as soon as i was proceesed) to my parents. I have a court date for Oct. 5th and I want to know what my likely punishment will be.
I was told that because I was so cooperative with cops, that will go a long way in court. My counselor told me I will probably do something like teen court...someone please give me some good news!
**A: sorry, there is no teen court. You will be tried and convicted as a juvenile in adult court.
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
I thought teen court was the king, queen, prince and princess in the high school Homecoming celebration.
 

stealth2

Under the Radar Member
"Groups Targeted by Program: First-time misdemeanor offenders age 10 to 17 who admit guilt."

How do you figure you're going to get into this program, being charged with 9 felonies?
 
F

Fossil410

Guest
why don't people read before they post....

"Teen Court is a "real" sentencing hearing for first time misdemeanor and felony juvenile offenders. " CAN somone help me know what i might be looking at?
 

stealth2

Under the Radar Member
Would you care to point out to me where it includes felony offenders? 'Cause the portion I posted was straight off the top of the link you provided - and all I see there is misdemeanor. And I've read the rest of the page and nowhere does it say anythign about the program being open to felony offenders. But it's entirely possible I missed it. So show me where it says that, k?
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
Fossil410 said:
why don't people read before they post....

"Teen Court is a "real" sentencing hearing for first time misdemeanor and felony juvenile offenders. " CAN somone help me know what i might be looking at?
**A: like I said before there is no teen court for you.
Why? Because you graduated from teen court status and are in the big time now. Have you played monopoly before where you pass go and collect $200? Well, your roll of the dice was landing on Chance and picking the "Go Directly To Jail" card. Teen court is not for people like you with, count them 9 (NINE) felonies.
 
Last edited:

stealth2

Under the Radar Member
And that's not the same site you posted earlier. Nor do I see any mention on this latest one about it being applicable to felonies. Try again.
 
F

Fossil410

Guest
bump...

and stealth you need a break or something from this forum...breathe!

wooooossaaaahhhhhh....something.....
 

VeronicaGia

Senior Member
Fossil410 said:
no it's this....

http://www.flteencourt.org/leoncounty.html

cmon guys, please help me out...let me know what i might be looking at.
Copied the entire link:

The Leon County Teen Court Program

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Program Purpose: To enable first-time offenders to take responsibility for their actions; to give these juveniles a second chance; and to enhance juveniles’ education and citizenship skills through their experience with the teen court.

Groups Targeted by Program: First-time misdemeanor offenders age 10 to 17 who admit guilt.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact: The Leon County Teen Court – S.C.A.L.E.S. Project, Inc., Leon County Courthouse, Courtroom 1-A, 301 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32301, (850) 488-4265, Fax (850) 488-4264, Russell H. Landry, Project Coordinato

The Leon County Teen Court is a sentencing hearing for first-time juvenile offenders. Teenagers serve as the jury, the attorneys, the bailiff, and the defendant. The only adult in the courtroom is the judge, who is typically a local attorney. The program began in 1992.

Every Tuesday night, volunteers and past defendants fulfilling sentences report for jury duty. The teens watch real cases of teenagers who made a mistake in their actions and violated a law. At the end of the trial, the jury of teen peers reaches a decision and sentences the defendant. The sentences must include from eight to 50 hours of community service and from one to six tours of duty on juries. The sentences may also include apology letters, school attendance, essays, and restrictions on contact with victims or codefendants.

The S.C.A.L.E.S. (Strengthening Court and Law-Related Education in Schools) Project is an educational, diversion, and crime prevention project that seeks to promote and reestablish the values of citizenship, democracy, and lawful behavior in our youth through crime prevention presentations, intense curriculum, and a Teen Court diversion program.

The Florida State Association of Teen Courts developed a set of Teen Court Standards. Each member of the Florida State Association of Teen Courts is obligated, by its membership, to comply with the standards. Compliance with these standards is the current form of oversight.

Structure

The S.C.A.L.E.S. Project is a private nonprofit organization. The capacity of this program has not been tested. Since its inception, the Teen Court has been able to handle all referrals. The duration of the program varies from case to case. There is not a set length of time to complete the sentence in all cases. During the 1996-97 fiscal year, the Teen Court served 202 juveniles. Of those, 197 juveniles successfully completed the program.

The Leon County Teen Court receives its referrals from the local prosecutor. The program serves urban and rural areas. One full-time and two part-time staff members run the Leon County Teen Court.

Funding

The S.C.A.L.E.S. Project includes programs in addition to the Leon County Teen Court. The approximate share of the total S.C.A.L.E.S. annual operating budget applicable to the Teen Court is $65,400. The funds are received from three sources: First, one-half of the Teen Court’s budget comes from a percentage of court costs filed within the county. Forty percent of the budget comes from the state. Finally, the Teen Court receives approximately 10% of its budget from federal flow-through grants. Cost per offender was not calculated. The Leon County Teen Court does not conduct any method of cost-effectiveness analysis.

Evaluation

The S.C.A.L.E.S. Project/Leon County Teen Court conducts an annual evaluation of the program’s effectiveness. The method of evaluation is to track all the juveniles who were served by the program to determine whether they commit subsequent offenses.

The rate of recidivism for the fiscal year 1996-97 was 9%. The rate of recidivism for the fiscal year 1995-96 was 8%.

Replication

The planning stage lasted six to eight months. In that time, the S.C.A.L.E.S. Project found a location, hired staff, created the necessary forms, and established community service sites.

Initially, the oversight came from compliance with federal grants. For the first three years, the S.C.A.L.E.S. Project received grant monies from OJJDP. As a result, the initial oversight came in the form of complying with the quarterly and annual report requirements.

The Teen Court is replicable in any community. Project Coordinator Russell H. Landry recommends that if an organization is interested in starting a teen court program it should build strong community support for the project prior to establishing the program. Also, Mr. Landry suggests that the program be designed to receive referrals straight from law enforcement officers. Finally, Mr. Landry suggests that the Teen Court work closely with law enforcement.

The success of the Teen Court program depends upon positive peer pressure. According to Mr. Landry, when teenagers can show other teenagers that what they have done is not appropriate, the offending teens will stop their actions. In addition to the positive peer pressure, there are other elements that are essential to the program’s effectiveness. Those elements include training attorneys and jurors, involving parents, attending the formal court process, serving on the jury, and participating in treatment programs.

Teen Court is not appropriate for serious and violent offenders. Additionally, the program is not appropriate for juveniles who deny responsibility. There are no demographic limitations. There are no known barriers to replication. -----END


I did a search for the word "felony" and it doesn't exist. Also, please read the entire last paragraph instead of just what you want to read. TEEN COURT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR SERIOUS AND VIOLENT OFFENDERS. I think nine felony counts would be considered serious.

In any event, you need to speak with an attorney. No one here can tell you what a judge will decide.
 

VeronicaGia

Senior Member
Fossil410 said:
http://www.co.leon.fl.us/TeenCourt/Index.asp is the website i got that from...

and go directly to jail? your saying you think im looking at jail time?
Your second link copied and pasted:

Leon County Teen Court

Leon County Courthouse
301 South Monroe Street Suite 203-A
Tallahassee, Florida 32301

Phone: (850) 488.4265 Fax: (850) 488.4264

What is Teen Court?

Teen Court is a "real" sentencing hearing for first time misdemeanor and felony juvenile offenders. Teen Court is a non-judicial proceeding that is conducted by trained teen attorneys, bailiffs, and jurors. Everyone involved in the courtroom proceeding is a teenager except the judge, who is a bar-certified attorney or judge. (There are adults who observe and supervise).

Volunteers and past defendants fulfilling sentences come to sit on jury duty. They watch real cases of teenagers who made a mistake in their actions and violated the laws of the United States. At the end of the trial, the jury of only teenage peers decides a just verdict for the defendant and the case. One of the many benefits of Teen Court is that it can be used for community service hours for many different scholarship programs.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office at (850) 488-4265

Deborah Shaw, MS- Director
[email protected]

Dwayne Cisrow, MS - Program Manager
[email protected]

Brennen Grant- BA - Assistant Program Specialist
[email protected]
---END

So, why not call or e-mail one of the people on the list and see if nine felonies can be handled in teen court?
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top