Juvenile Defense

Kansas City Juvenile Defense Attorney Paul D. Cramm

If you need a skilled and resourceful juvenile defense lawyer to represent your son or daughter, contact my Olathe, Kansas, law firm. I have a thorough familiarity with juvenile procedure, the practices of the prosecutors and courts in determining the disposition of juvenile offenses in Johnson County and Wyandotte County, and the range of community-based treatment and diversion programs that can often serve as a useful alternative to the criminal justice system.

For major criminal offenses, such as homicide, sexual assault, or aggravated assault and battery, questions often arise as to whether the defendant will be tried as an adult. There is no right to trial by jury in the juvenile court, and you don't always get the same rights with respect to evidence and testimony before a juvenile judge. For the most serious crimes, the prospect of a 30-year prison sentence if found guilty provides a powerful incentive to keep the case in juvenile court whenever the risk of conviction appears substantial.

My juvenile defense practice relies heavily on pretrial advocacy. Not only do we move to suppress evidence, to sever proceedings involving multiple defendants, and for the usual range of tactical advantages sought in motions in limine, we also concentrate on the amenability of the juvenile defendant to treatment in the juvenile system. I therefore tailor my defense services to the specific needs and characteristics of your child in the light of the charges he or she is facing.

Crimes typically charged in juvenile court include school crimes such as possession of a knife or fighting, shoplifting, minor in possession (MIP) charges relating to alcohol, or marijuana possession. I also handle cases involving sex between underage minors and other status offenses such as truancy or curfew violations.

My Kansas City juvenile defense law firm offers free consultations and accepts credit cards. For additional information about your legal options, contact me in Olathe.