The legal process following an underage DUI is very similar to what it would be for anybody under the age of 21. Children are going to be treated like adults in court, because the goal of the court is going to be to try and change the defendant's decision-making toward fostering positive growth. It is incumbent upon the parents to try and support that growth and not stand in the way by enabling their children, but instead trying to facilitate that growth and really help out the court. Many times, the court will see that and be more lenient on the children, especially if the parents are a little bit more strict.
If your child has been charged with a DUI, our experienced Michigan underage DUI lawyers are familiar with the nuances of these cases and will work with your family not only to achieve the best outcome in court, but to help facilitate positive growth and change within your child to help them stay on the right path into his or her future.
Factors to ConsiderThe most important thing to consider in a Michigan DUI charge against a student is keeping them in school. The court, the defense, and the child's family all want to work to keep kids in school to ensure that they are continuing their educations and working toward eventually landing on a good career path. That is priority one with student charges, and is addressed with importance regarding scheduling, as well as learning about the student. The defense wants to know about the client, what is important to them, where they see themselves going, where they are trying to apply to school, and what direction they are trying to take their lives in, so that they can be represented as a whole person, rather than a simple offender.
An additional thing an underage DUI attorney will want to talk about is what the factors are that led to this, learning what kinds of associations a child was making, and why they put themselves in this position in the first place. Defenders working with easily influenced young people want to try and change those groups of people and those behaviors, because everyone involved does not want something like this happening again and wants to be able to show positive change to the court and the prosecutor at a later date.
Working with FamiliesOne of the most important things that kids need to be aware of is the timing of issues and the fact that they are going to be treated like adults in any Michigan legal setting, because they misused adult privileges that led to their being charged. Depending on when the incident occurred, as well as specific details about individual cases, legal proceedings can have an impact on schooling, so it is very important that the lawyer is able to sit down not only with the client, but with his or her parents as well, to discuss where things can go and where they should go. An underage DUI lawyer serves as a resource to the whole family in developing a plan, and taking steps toward accomplishing that plan.
The last thing parents want when they are concerned about their child is a vacuum of information. Parents need to be expediently given information about what the case is going to look like and how the process is going to appear, so that they can begin making preparations for it at home. DUI lawyers will recommend steps for parents to take to implement positive changes their children can make, and actions that will show the court that the defendant is someone who is actually manifesting those positive changes going forward.
Supporting a Charged MinorIt is unfortunate, but sometimes judges indicate that the parents might be enabling the illegal behavior of their child who is facing charges. For this reason, it is very important for most judges that the parents are aware of this, and are present during any legal proceedings. A judge wants to see that the parents are demonstrating a level of parental commitment and are especially focused on having a good home environment.
Anytime a parent can be involved with their child when they are facing an underage DUI case, the judge will see that the parents are trying to be a part of the solution.
Unfortunately, for most parents, it is going to be a very difficult situation to watch a child go through a criminal process while not having a direct way to influence the outcome. Having a capable attorney to work with, who is familiar with the court system, is the child's best option for being taken care of in such a delicate situation.
Seeking TreatmentFurther, in looking out for a child facing charges of this nature, our attorneys also want to ask them if there are any issues at home or in their lives that might benefit from some kind of counseling. It is not uncommon that people caught while driving, both young, and older, are in the process of self-medicating. It is possible that defendants could be dealing with an issue that needs to be treated, and we thoroughly seek any kind of treatment option that may be beneficial as part of our holistic approach to addressing DUI charges. If your child is facing DUI charges, our legal team is able to educate you on the process from step one, so that you can focus on their well-being, while we focus on the case.