Practice Areas: Juvenile Delinquency Defense
A minor being charged with a delinquent act is a very serious matter. A delinquent act is basically the minor being accused of having done something which, if such had been done by an adult, would be a crime. It is the government (the State of Maryland or the United States of America) against the minor. The minor may face time in a juvenile facility and being on probation with all the requirements and restrictions imposed by the Court, as well as possible consequences for the parents such as restitution. Legal concepts and terms you would likely need to know include the substantive elements of the delinquent act charged, the procedural steps involved with defending the case, the meaning of being proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, what can be done to compel the prosecutor to prove the case, and what the Court may consider in mitigation of punishment. For example, a minor charged with a delinquent act does not have to be innocent to be found not delinquent. Not delinquent really means not proven delinquent by the prosecutor. How these legal concepts interrelate to each other is also important.
It can be quite confusing and complicated. The prosecutor is a trained and experienced attorney, who has available to him the full investigative power of the government, including trained full time investigators known as the police. Do you know the law? Do you know how the law applies to the facts of your case? Do you know the rules of evidence? Do you know what the prosecutor must prove and how? Shouldn't you find out? Shouldn't you have someone who knows the law to protect the rights and interests of the minor accused of a delinquent act? Only an attorney can do so for you.
Since 1986, Donald J. Arnold has been successfully representing individuals charged with a delinquent act. Mr Arnold is authorized to practice law in all state and federal trial and appeals courts covering Maryland. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland Law School, with honors, 1986, and was admitted to the Maryland Bar that same year, having passed the Bar Exam on the first attempt. He was admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in 1987, the U.S. Court of Appeals (Fourth Circuit) in 1991, and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1993.
For more information or an appointment call (410) 838-2542 or toll free outside Harford County 1-888-808-0449. Mr Arnold prefers initial potential client contact to be by telephone or appointment in person, with use of e-mail being reserved for existing clients after an appropriate attorney-client relationship has been formally established.
Legalese translated into real people talk.
