What If Your Teen Is Arrested In The Middle of the Night?
What if your teen is arrested? Thoughts of a ringing phone waking you up at two in the morning with the terrifying news that your child is under arrest are familiar to many parents. Sadly, this scary situation isn’t all that unusual since teenagers tend to act before they think. Here’s what to know if your teen calls you from the police station in the middle of the night.
Juvenile arrest
Although you’ll always view your child as your baby, the legal system sees people under the age of eighteen in different ways depending on their age. For example, a ten-year-old child accused of violent crime will most likely face a different path through the juvenile justice system than a sixteen-year-old who commits the same crime. However, even though the journey may vary, every minor who ends up under arrest enjoys fundamental rights.
Arrested teens have rights
Like adults, teens have rights while under arrest. It’s always a smart idea to discuss those rights with your child before they begin spending significant amounts of time away from home. Preparation is a better option than scrambling to recover from mistakes that your teen might make after an arrest.
Three rights to cover with your teen include:
- Silence – Stress that your teen doesn’t need to talk to the police regarding the crime. Of course, it’s essential that the teen is polite, but politeness doesn’t need to extend to discussing any part of the alleged criminal incident with the authorities.
- Phone call – Anyone arrested in Pennsylvania has the right to make a phone call. Make sure that your teen understands to call you as quickly as possible.
- Lawyer – The juvenile and adult criminal justice systems are complex, and it’s essential that your family has the assistance of a qualified criminal defense attorney throughout the process.
The matter of bail
Have you heard that there is not a bail bond system in Pennsylvania’s juvenile court system? Indeed, you won’t need to worry about bail if your teen remains in the juvenile justice system. However, the situation is different for teens who commit violent acts that lead to adult criminal court.
Minors charged as adults in Pennsylvania have the chance to post a bond in most cases. Contact us at Gibson Bail Bonds as soon as you know the bail amount, and we will help to get your child home as fast as possible.
Lastly, you’re not alone if concerns of what if your teen is arrested plaque you every time your child is out with friends. We all know that teenagers make bad choices and a number of them are placed under arrest in Pennsylvania each year. Prepare for the worst by reminding your teen that they have rights even when handcuffed and in the back of a squad car.
Contact Gibson Bail Bonds for help in arranging a bail bond today.
