Plea Bargain in Utah Juvenile Court

There are times when a juvenile has committed an infraction or a crime, and he has the opportunity to work with the district or county attorney on a plea bargain. A plea bargain occurs when the prosecution gives a juvenile the choice to accept a lesser plea to the charges or possibly even drops one or more charges in the case of multiple crimes.

An Example of a Plea Bargain

Let’s say that your daughter has been charged with two counts of vandalism for her role in spray painting graffiti on a school wall. If the prosecutor offers to drop one count in exchange for her completing other requirements, that’s considered a plea bargain. The benefit is that she would only have one guilty plea to vandalism on her record, and she might learn something from having to do community service hours, etc.

A Judge is Part of any Plea Bargain

The juvenile would still be required to see a juvenile court judge, and the judge would have to agree to the terms of the plea bargain and any additional requirements. If the youth has an attorney, he or the judge will ask the person questions in order to make sure the youth understands the consequences of what he’s pleading to. This question and answer period will be recorded in court.

Call a Utah Juvenile Defense Attorney

It is very helpful for any child facing juvenile court charges to be represented by his own attorney. A juvenile defense attorney can make the entire court process more understandable for everyone involved. It’s also beneficial for a child to have an attorney who can easily discuss the case with the prosecution and court, relieving the parents to focus on their child’s other needs.

If your child is in legal trouble, contact a Utah juvenile defense attorney today.