Jacksonville Criminal Attorney Blog

Last year, over 14,000 Jacksonville students in Duval County public schools skipped more than 20 days of class according to the Florida Times Union at Jacksonville.com. Of that number,

- 53% were boys
- 47% were girls
- 48% were African American
- 38 % were White
- 7% were Hispanic

When children are not in school, they are more likely to commit crimes and this is a major concern for the Jacksonville Journey. According to Jacksonville united Against Truancy, 44% of juvenile violent crimes are committed during school and 75% of the inmates in jail were truants at one time.

If you have any questions about juvenile criminal charges in Jacksonville, call our Jacksonville Juvenile Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Posted In: Criminal Topics in the News , Juvenile

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A Jacksonville Paxon Middle School student brought a gun to school on August 26th, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The school received an anonymous tip about the child possessing the gun at school. The gun was taken away from the child and he was subdued with a taser by officers.

According to National School Safety and Security Services, police officers utilizing tasers is a good alternative to using deadly force on juveniles.

Duval County (Jacksonville) middle and high schools do not have metal detectors, but the children are subject to random checks of their cars and book bags.

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Posted In: Gun Crimes , Juvenile

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Courts in Florida can sentence a criminal defendant to a "youthful offender" sentence if they committed the crime before their 21st birthday. Florida offers "boot camp" to some youthful offenders. The Department of Corrections takes youths into this "shock" program instead of locking them up for a long period of time. They believe that the camp could produce the same deterrent effect that a long prison sentence could. This camp includes:

- Marching drills
- A dress code
- Physical labor assignments
- Marching drills
- Decision making and personal development training
- Education
- Drug counseling

Criminal offenders have to have no physical limitations that would prevent them from being involved in strenuous activity, they have to be sober, and could not have been previously incarcerated in any correctional facility.

If you have any questions about youthful offender sentences or juvenile offenses, please contact our experienced Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorneys at (904) 634-0900.

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Posted In: Juvenile

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Juvenile justice has always been an important part of the criminal system, but with Jacksonville's high crime rate, it is more important than ever. According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice:

- 4,163 Jacksonville juveniles were charged with crimes during 2006-2007.

- Of that number, 765 juveniles were charged with violent crimes.

- The number of juveniles charged with violent crimes increased 4.5% from the 2002-2003 fiscal year to the 2006-2007 year.

- During 2006-2007, 87 Jacksonville juveniles were transferred to adult court. That means they will face the same amount of prison time an adult would. The decision whether or not to transfer a juvenile to adult court belongs to the Duval County State Attorney's Office.

- 988 Jacksonville juveniles were put on probation during 2006-2007.

The goal of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is to offer treatment, prevention, and intervention services to youths and their families. In the juvenile system, the focus is on rehabilitation, not punishment. If the juvenile and their families get a glimpse of the criminal justice system, maybe they will not want to come back.

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Posted In: Juvenile

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