Sound, Helpful Guidance When Your Child Faces Accusations

When your minor child faces criminal accusations, it is natural to “freak out.” You have good reason to be concerned about the potential punishments and the possible impact on your child’s future.

The juvenile justice system is complicated and not always predictable. You need an attorney familiar with juvenile law and criminal defense to guard against the unjust accusations or severe punishment of your child. The lawyer at the law firm of Steven Wetter can guide you and your teenager through this process and keep the focus on rehabilitating rather than penalizing.

Attorney Steven H. Wetter represents minors and young adults of Fort Myers, Cape Coral and the surrounding communities in Florida. Contact the firm today for a free, confidential consultation.

Protecting The Rights Of Florida Youths

Steven has practiced in criminal law for over 20 years, and he has substantial experience representing juveniles in every type of juvenile crime, including:

• Underage drinking and driving under the influence (DUI)
• Drug possession (marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs)
• Fights and assaults at school or elsewhere
• Theft, burglary, shoplifting and more
• Domestic violence accusations against a girlfriend, sibling or parent
• Sex offenses and assault
• Violent crimes
• Truancy
• Violations of probationary terms

Youths and parents often learn the hard way that police can detain and interrogate a minor without a parent or lawyer present, and that school administrators have the right to search a student’s pockets, backpack, locker or car parked on school grounds.

However, there are rules and limits. Steven holds authorities accountable for the violation of juveniles’ rights by getting evidence suppressed and charges dismissed.

Minimizing The Consequences Of Juvenile Offenses

If your child faces accusations of a serious offense, they can be held up to 21 days at a juvenile detention center, confined to house arrest or removed from school to an alternative education center. For a lesser offense, your child will be released to you, with conditions.

If your child receives a guilty verdict, the potential punishments range from a warning all the way to a Level 8 boot camp or Level 10 juvenile prison. Steven is a skilled defense lawyer and former prosecutor who knows how to challenge the evidence against your child as well as how to negotiate under the facts of the case and the juvenile prosecutor’s discretion.

Benefits of working with the Steven Wetter firm include the following:

• For a good kid who made bad choices (i.e., an otherwise clean record), Steven can often arrange for probation, alcohol or drug treatment, anger management classes and other alternatives that give your youth the help and second chance they need.
• For a youth with previous run-ins with the law or who is facing serious felony charges, Steven will do everything he can to avoid a purely punitive incarceration that ignores the juvenile system’s mission to rehabilitate.

Discuss Your Child’s Case With A Skilled Lawyer

Call 239-347-9133 or contact the firm online to talk with an experienced lawyer. The firm offers a free, confidential consultation, and its staff answers phones 24 hours a day.