According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, there's been a large increase in the number of juveniles arrested for weapon possession in the last five years. This statistic seems to coincide with the increase in gun violence committed by and targeted at...
Juvenile Crimes
School threats result in arrests of Florida teens
Multiple cases of teenage boys heading to court after threatening their schools have occurred throughout Florida. A 13-year-old from Silver Trail Middle School in Fort Lauderdale now faces a second-degree felony charge after mentioning in class on Oct. 4 that he...
An overview of underage DUI laws
Individuals under the age of 21 in Florida are subject to "zero tolerance" alcohol laws. In addition to not being allowed to possess or consume alcohol, they are not permitted to drive with a blood alcohol content higher than .02 percent. This is lower than the .08...
Teen accused of murdering 15-year-old with a baseball bat
On March 19, a 16-year-old Florida teen was accused of murder after he allegedly beat his 15-year-old friend with a baseball bat. Although the accused teen initially claimed that the 15-year-old attacked him first, it was reported that he eventually admitted that the...
Juvenile lifers might be resentenced
In Florida, some juveniles who are charged with serious crimes are tried as adults. In some cases, juveniles have been sentenced to life sentences without the possibility of parole. The federal government has reviewed tough sentencing of juveniles and has made some...
2 teens accused of involvement in road rage incident
On June 16, two Florida teenagers were taken into custody after they were accused of threatening a 71-year-old man with a baseball bat. Authorities said the incident may have been caused by road rage. The incident report said that the teens, an 18-year-old man and a...
Alternative to adjudication through pretrial program
Minors in Florida who are charged with certain types of felony offenses may be eligible to enter into a special pretrial intervention program in lieu of adjudication. The program may offer a way for juveniles to avoid adjudication on their charges while also allowing...
State looking to expand diversion program for juveniles
The Florida state legislature is considering two different ideas that could potentially help keep juveniles who make mistakes from getting into legal trouble. Both of the bills would help minors who commit their first misdemeanor crime by getting them into diversion...
Police charge 3 juveniles in case involving teen’s death
According to news sources, three teens have been taken into custody in relation to the death of a 15-year-old Florida boy. The boy was reportedly found lying on the ground in a park in Winter Park, Florida on Oct. 15 with few signs of trauma. Law enforcement...
What happens when a minor breaks the law
When a child under the age of 18 violates the law in Florida, the juvenile court system will usually handle their case. A minor may be sent to a detention center immediately after being taken into custody by a police officer, or the minor may be released to their...