There’s nothing like the love a parent has for their child. It goes deeper than most other connections. That’s why a moment like this is so hard, especially for parents and guardians facing a legal situation they never expected. We understand that, but there’s no reason to panic. Now you need one of our juvenile crimes defense lawyers who knows how to defend them. A charge is not a conviction, and the sooner we are involved, the more options stay open for your child’s future.
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Do You Need a Juvenile Defense Attorney Right Now?
It’s completely normal to hesitate. Maybe the school called before the police did, or you’re not sure if this is a big deal. But as a parent, it all feels like a big deal, which is understandable. Parents who reach out to our juvenile defense lawyers are usually dealing with one or more of the following:
- Your child was arrested, cited, or questioned by police, and you don’t know what happens next.
- A school resource officer or intake worker has already been in contact with your family.
- You’re worried this will affect college applications, scholarships, or a future professional license.
- Your teenager was arrested and is being treated as an adult, not a juvenile.
- You’ve been told your child could be waived into adult court, and you may not understand what that means.
- You’re not sure whether to let your child talk to police, a school administrator, or an intake worker without you or an attorney present.
You don’t need to figure this out before you call. A short conversation with one of our juvenile crimes defense lawyers on our team will help you understand where your child is right now, and what legal representation would change. The legal process moves faster than most families expect, and your child’s rights need protecting early.
“These people have their whole life ahead of them. Younger people don’t necessarily have the most developed brains, yet they do stupid things sometimes. Sometimes they can be rambunctious or compulsive. We don’t want people at that stage of their life to have obstacles thrown up in front of them that are gonna impact the rest of their lives,” says Julius Kim, Managing Partner. That conviction shapes the standard we hold in every juvenile case we take on.
Speak With an Attorney TodayWhat a Juvenile Charge Actually Means for Your Child's Future
Most families don’t realize the consequences of a juvenile charge until it’s too late. In Wisconsin, your child stops being treated as a juvenile at age 17, not 18. A person who has attained 17 years of age is prosecuted as an adult with no juvenile court protections. [Wis. Stat. § 938.02(10m)] Many parents are shocked to learn their 17-year-old is already headed to adult court.
Below age 17, Wisconsin treats juvenile delinquency cases as civil proceedings, not criminal ones. Some offenses, though, still move into full criminal proceedings. That’s why there’s no jury, and the outcome is called an adjudication, not a conviction.
But the stakes for your child’s future stay the same. Wisconsin’s juvenile court has jurisdiction starting at age 10. [Wis. Stat. § 938.12] Wisconsin law allows a few paths out of juvenile court, depending on your child’s age and the charge:
- Original adult court jurisdiction for homicide. A child as young as 10 accused of first-degree or second-degree intentional homicide is charged directly in adult criminal court. [Wis. Stat. § 938.183]
- Waiver hearings for other serious offenses. A juvenile court can transfer a case to adult court starting at age 14 for certain serious offenses. The same applies at age 15 for any state criminal law violation, depending on the juvenile’s age. [Wis. Stat. § 938.18] A defense attorney can argue for decertification, sometimes called a reverse waiver. This can send the case back to juvenile court in certain circumstances, even after it has moved to adult court.
- Consequences that outlast the case. A delinquency adjudication can trigger a mandatory firearm restriction notice. This happens when the act would have been a felony if committed by an adult. [Wis. Stat. § 938.341] A sexual offense adjudication can require registration that follows into adulthood. [Wis. Stat. § 301.45]
Waiver into adult court means adult-level, often far harsher penalties instead of juvenile records that can eventually be expunged. Expungement of a juvenile record isn’t automatic. Your child must petition the court after turning 17 and show they satisfactorily completed their dispositional order. [Wis. Stat. § 938.355(4m)]
Even a delinquent act that stays in juvenile court can follow your child into education and career decisions later in life. It can surface later on a background check or a college admissions review, which will have consequences for their future well beyond the case itself.
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Common Juvenile Crimes We Defend in Wisconsin
Juvenile crimes cover a wide range of conduct, and the criminal charges your child faces change what defense options are available. Some carry mandatory consequences while others are lower-level, but all deserve a real defense. We regularly represent Wisconsin families facing juvenile crimes across these categories:
- Underage drinking and alcohol possession. A first violation can bring a forfeiture, financial penalties, and a suspended operating privilege. This ties into our drunk driving defense work.[Wis. Stat. § 938.344]
- Drug possession, most commonly marijuana-related and tied to substance abuse, handled alongside our broader drug offense practice.
- Theft, shoplifting, and vandalism, common charges among Wisconsin juveniles.
- Disorderly conduct and simple assault or battery, often starting as school altercations, covered by our disorderly conduct and battery practice.
- Weapons possession and other violent offenses. Wisconsin law makes it a crime for anyone under 18 to possess or go armed with a dangerous weapon. [Wis. Stat. § 948.60]
- Sexual offenses involving minors, including the exchange of explicit images between minors, which can mean felony charges for both parties even without an adult involved. [Wis. Stat. § 948.12(3)(b)] More serious cases, including an alleged crime like sexual assault, carry the mandatory registration consequences described above.
- Status offenses, such as truancy and curfew violations, are only offenses because of a person’s age and are typically handled differently than delinquency offenses. [Wis. Stat. § 938.13]
What looks like a minor incident can quickly turn into serious criminal charges. That includes something like an underage drinking citation at a party. Our defense attorneys handle each of these juvenile offenses differently. The right strategy depends on the charge and your child’s history.
Book a ConsultationOur Approach to Juvenile Defense and What Happens Next
When you contact our juvenile defense lawyers, here is what happens:
Step 1: You reach out to our team.
Call our office or request a consultation. Your child may already face criminal charges, or you might just be worried. Either way, our defense attorneys take these calls directly, not an intake specialist.
Step 2: We find out where the case actually stands.
We find out exactly where your child's case stands: an arrest, a citation, a referral to intake, or a school or police investigation. Errors during arrest can be grounds for case dismissal, and we review that closely. Earlier involvement gives us more influence over what happens at intake.
Step 3: We explain the real options, not just the worst-case scenario.
Your child's case could head toward an informal adjustment, a deferred prosecution agreement, a consent decree, or, in serious cases, formal adjudication or a waiver hearing. An informal adjustment can mean no delinquency petition is ever filed, since Wisconsin law allows courts to use the most effective dispositional option in each juvenile's best interest.
Step 4: We build a defense and advocate at every stage.
That can mean challenging the evidence, negotiating diversion instead of formal charges, defending against a waiver petition, or presenting a rehabilitation plan at disposition. This includes procedural errors like illegal questioning and unlawful searches of a backpack, locker, or cell phone that violate juvenile and constitutional rights. Raising challenges early can open doors to diversion and help avoid detention. We stay involved throughout.
Why Wisconsin Families Choose Kim & LaVoy S.C.
Choosing a juvenile crimes defense lawyer is about more than a name you found online. You want to trust a law firm where quality legal representation starts on the first call. Intake workers and prosecutors know it too. When you work with us, you can expect:
- Direct access to our defense attorneys from your first call. We don’t route juvenile cases through an intake specialist.
- A former prosecutor’s perspective. Julius Kim spent years as a Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney. He knows how intake workers, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials build these cases.
- Attorneys who understand adolescent development. Our juvenile defense attorneys must understand adolescent development and the juvenile court process, not just criminal law. How a case is presented depends on understanding a young person’s judgment.
- A team approach. Our defense attorneys review cases together, which means your child’s defense benefits from more than one perspective on strategy and evidence.
- A record built on courtroom experience. Our defense attorneys are experienced in criminal trials. That’s why prosecutors and judges take us seriously from day one. That credibility carries into every hearing and negotiation we conduct on your child’s behalf.
“I think that a good criminal defense attorney cares about his or her clients, but a great criminal defense attorney treats their clients as if they were family members or close, close friends,” says Julius Kim, Managing Partner. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to in every juvenile case we take on. Whether the client is a scared 14-year-old or a 17-year-old suddenly facing adult court, the standard doesn’t change.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Juvenile Crimes in Wisconsin
Yes. Homicide cases can start directly in adult court for a child as young as 10. Other serious offenses can be waived into the adult system starting at age 14, as explained above. Certain offenses carry a higher risk of waiver, and an experienced defense attorney at the waiver hearing makes the biggest difference. Losing the hearing means harsher penalties and a juvenile conviction that becomes part of a permanent criminal record.
The juvenile offenses we see most often include underage drinking, drug possession, theft, and disorderly conduct, all covered in more detail above. Robbery and other theft-related offenses can also lead to juvenile charges, and a repeat or serious case can escalate quickly. [Wis. Stat. § 943.32] Every case is different, so the right defense strategy depends on the offense involved and your child’s history.
Not automatically, but it does not disappear on its own either. Wisconsin juvenile records are confidential within the juvenile court system, and they can be sealed or expunged only under certain conditions. Your child can petition the court after turning 17, once their dispositional order is complete. [Wis. Stat. § 938.355(4m)] We build that petition into the case plan from the start, on your child’s behalf, rather than waiting until after disposition to think about it.
A deferred prosecution agreement lets a first-time offender complete conditions like counseling, community service, or a supervised program. It’s capped at one year and doesn’t result in a formal delinquency adjudication. [Wis. Stat. § 938.245] This is one of the diversion programs available in juvenile matters, and not every case qualifies. The window to negotiate one is usually early in the legal process. That’s why calling a juvenile defense attorney early matters more here than in most other criminal cases.
Wisconsin courts have wide discretion at disposition. Options range from counseling and community service to residential placement or a secure detention facility for the most serious offenses, sometimes with a probation officer. [Wis. Stat. § 938.34] That flexibility has to be argued for with a documented plan. The National Institute of Justice has found that cognitive behavioral therapy reduces reoffending even among high-risk youth, which matters most in cases involving substance abuse or mental health concerns. [National Institute of Justice] We use research like this to build a case that actually serves your child, not just the one that closes fastest.
Yes. This is often the most valuable time to call. An attorney can shape how the situation is handled before it becomes a formal charge. That’s the same reasoning behind our pre-charging representation work in adult cases.
Yes. A court can order parents to contribute toward the cost of services, placements, and sanctions ordered in their child’s case. [Wis. Stat. § 938.275] A court can separately order a parent to pay restitution to a victim. This covers property damage or injury caused by the child’s delinquent act. [Wis. Stat. § 938.45(1r)] This is one more reason to get ahead of a juvenile case.
Wisconsin treats sexual offenses involving minors more seriously than many families expect, including cases involving the exchange of explicit images where both parties can face charges. [Wis. Stat. § 948.12(3)(b)] A sexual offense adjudication, including allegations related to sexual assault, can trigger registration that extends into adulthood. [Wis. Stat. § 301.45] These cases call for immediate legal involvement, with the same discretion we bring to our adult sex offense defense work.
Juvenile cases move differently than adult felonies and misdemeanors, and treating one like a smaller adult case is a common mistake. Intake decisions happen fast, and diversion windows close quickly. The stakes involve a child’s education and future as much as the legal outcome. A strong juvenile criminal defense lawyer is sometimes called a juvenile delinquency attorney. That person needs to understand not just the felonies and misdemeanors side of Wisconsin’s legal system, but also the intake process, waiver standards, and expungement rules under Chapter 938.
If Your Child Is Facing Juvenile Charges, Contact Kim & LaVoy S.C.
A juvenile charge is serious, but it isn’t the end of the story, and your child isn’t defined by this moment. Getting through this takes an attorney who knows the intake process, protects your child’s rights from the first call, and treats them as a person, not a case number. Wisconsin’s juvenile justice system exists because the law recognizes that young people can change, and we have the experience to advocate for that at every stage.
The earlier you call, the more we can do. If your family is facing juvenile crime charges anywhere in Wisconsin, contact our juvenile crimes defense lawyers today.
Book a ConsultationAreas We Serve
At Kim & LaVoy S.C., we represent families across Wisconsin, with a strong presence throughout the Milwaukee area, and the same level of attention no matter the county.
We regularly serve clients in:
- Milwaukee
- Brookfield
- Waukesha
- Wauwatosa
- West Bend
- West Allis
- and other counties throughout Wisconsin
We know these areas well and guide your family through the process with clarity, no matter where your child’s case is based.
Find A LawyerWhat Our Clients Say
“Julius Kim was my attorney for my second DUI - a situation no one wants to be in. However, I was (and am) extremely thankful for having such a dedicated lawyer. He gave me no false hopes; yet still instilled hope in me.”
“Jonathan LaVoy did exactly what we set out to do. His staff was accommodating, made me feel comfortable, detailed and kind.”
“Very satisfied with the service we received with Attorney Jamie Pagac. She was knowledgable and professional. She was also personable and considerate. In what could have been an overwhelming experience our case was handled perfectly by the whole group at Kim & LaVoy.”
Resources From Our Blog
Punishment for Juvenile Crimes in Wisconsin: Common Crimes, Charges & Consequences
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Understanding the Juvenile Justice System in Wisconsin
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Legal Disclaimer
The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every criminal case is unique, and the facts of your specific situation may result in different outcomes than those described here. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Kim & LaVoy S.C. or any of its attorneys. Wisconsin law is complex and subject to change. For legal advice tailored to your individual circumstances, please contact Kim & LaVoy S.C. directly to schedule a consultation.