Juvenile Bail Bonds in Connecticut
In the United States legal system, there’s a big difference between how an adult and a minor are processed in the court of law. If you are charged with a crime as a minor, you will often face significantly less punishment and/or fines depending on the nature of your crime. However, as an adult, you will often be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. It’s important to be aware of the process if you do find yourself in the juvenile court system.
Here are a few of the main differences between juvenile and adult court.
How Juvenile Court Works
In most states, including Connecticut, , you are usually considered a juvenile in the court of law if you’re under the age of 16, which in turn will affect your rights and overall experience while being charged with a crime. Unlike in adult trials, a single judge, rather than a jury of your peers, will decide your case. In addition, as a minor, your case remains private from the scrutiny of the public eye.
Given that minors have yet to fully develop their capacity to function as adults, the court process for minors is designed to be forgiving in nature to avoid negatively affecting the rest of the minor’s life. Of course, the severity of the crime will ultimately determine the long-term repercussions. Facing charges as a juvenile also prevents anyone but government officials from seeing your court records, which helps preclude any youthful indiscretions from affecting your future adult life.
Though most persons 16 and under are tried as minors, in some cases they can be tried as an adult if the charge is especially severe, such as grand theft auto or murder. If you are under 16 years of age, it is extremely rare for the court to charge you as an adult, although it is technically possible under Connecticut law.
Teenagers between 16 and 18 years of age are usually tried as youthful offenders. These trials will take place in adult court, but you will be afforded the same privacy protections as juveniles, and a single judge will decide your case.
Posting Bail as a Juvenile
Unlike an adult charged with a crime, minors cannot legally post bond without the consent of their parents or guardians. To leave custody on bail, you will often need to have your parents come to the place in which you are held and post bail for you. Additionally, as a minor, you cannot post bail for anyone else. Sometimes the bail amount presents a serious challenge for someone under the age of 18 and their family, and at Capitol Bail Bonds, we believe everyone deserves to be able to post bail so they can focus on their charges at hand.
To minors, the full bail amount can seem like a truly inordinate amount of money, but we’ve helped hundreds of minors and their families work to find a solution that’s affordable with a flexible payment plan. We understand that being charged as a minor can drastically change your life and want to do everything in our power to help make the bail process as easy as possible so that you can make your case in the court of law. The process of posting bail as a juvenile can be stressful and overwhelming, especially since you must involve your parents or guardians.
If you’re a minor who needs help posting bail and needs help fast, give us a call at Capitol Bail Bonds, and we will work closely with you and your family to help you post bond. We’re always ready to help work with you 24/7 to help you find a solution that works for you.
LET’S GET IN TOUCH
A phone call is the quickest way to get the bail process started. We will be able to ask you a few pertinent questions to better understand your situation and move forward.
