Experienced Juvenile Defense Representation
Lawyer Maya Fombelle represents our firm's juvenile clients and is well versed in the approaches both the juvenile and criminal courts take. During her time as a prosecutor, Ms. Fombelle worked on a number of juvenile, felony and misdemeanor cases. She now uses the experience she gained as a prosecutor and as the Guardian Ad Litem for the juvenile courts of Macon County to defend our juvenile clients. Contact us for more information about how Maya can use her years of experience to defend your interests.
Bloomington Juvenile Defense Attorney
In Illinois, delinquent minors are children charged with committing a crime before they turned 17. Delinquent minors are tried in juvenile courts. If an offense is committed after a child's 17th birthday, then the child would be tried in criminal court.
Keeping a case in juvenile court is preferable. The juvenile court operates on the premise that children should be given special consideration, guidance, protection and treatment. Options such as incarceration are used only as a last resort.
Being Charged as an Adult
Some charges require that a child be tried in criminal court even if he or she was younger than 17 at the time the offense was committed. A case will be transferred to the criminal court and the child will be tried as an adult if a child was at least 15 and he or she is charged with:
- First-degree murder
- Aggravated criminal sexual assault
- Armed robbery with a firearm
- Aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm
Contact the Firm
At Fombelle & Fombelle, LLP, our years of experience and diverse legal backgrounds allow us to offer innovative and effective representation to our clients. Contact us at 800-243-2925 to set up a free initial consultation with a Decatur juvenile attorney. We have an answering service that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we respond to all messages promptly.
