Juvenile Law

If you are a young person charged with a crime or the parent of a child facing juvenile charges, you have a challenging road ahead of you. While juvenile courts are designed with rehabilitation in mind, convictions can still haunt a young person for years. You need to do everything you can to fight the charges and to minimize the damage to your child’s future.

North Carolina Board Certified Juvenile Delinquency Specialist

Anna M. Goodwin has the kind of experience not many other juvenile defenders can boast. As the former Chief Juvenile Prosecutor for Union County she has spent years working in the juvenile courts, where she now exercises her abilities defending juvenile clients. When your child’s freedom is at stake this kind of familiarity and understanding could make a drastic difference in the outcome of your case.

Serving Union County and surrounding areas, Goodwin Law Firm assists children in both the criminal and civil areas of juvenile court.

Criminal – Less than 16 (Department of Juvenile Justice)

North Carolina’s juvenile justice system focuses on juvenile delinquency prevention and rehabilitation. This means that if convicted, your child faces probation, community service, and even detention at a juvenile detention center. However, just because your child will not go to adult jail does not mean a conviction should be taken lightly.

A juvenile convicted of a crime can still face stiff penalties, some of which can put them at risk for further troubles down the road. Depending on the severity of the crime and the child’s age there is also the possibility of the case winding up in adult court – something you want to avoid at all costs.

With the considerable experience Attorney Anna M. Goodwin has in juvenile cases our firm should be able to help get the best outcome in your child’s case. There are no guarantees in these situations, but a good legal defense can minimize the final charges your child faces and the punishments that come along with those charges.

Civil – Department of Social Services

Juvenile law also includes Division of Social Services matters involving abused, neglected, and dependent minors. These cases involve the possibility of removing the children from the damaging environment. Our firm can help you navigate the complexities of dealing with the Department of Social Services as it relates to your family, as well as defend your right to custody if you are wrongly accused of neglect.

We can help.

If your child has been arrested or charged with a crime, please contact our office as soon as you can. We can help mitigate the damage these charges will cause to your child’s future.