A difficult point in any parent’s experience is to learn that their child was charged with a crime. Many parents are shocked to find themselves in this position and are unsure what to do or even how they can help. There are a few things to do when a crime is first charged.
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Find out if it is possible to see your child if they are incarcerated. Many holding centers offer an initial intake visit to occur on the day of the arrest outside of usual jail visiting hours. If it is possible to bring an attorney with you to this initial visit, do so. If not, you may request that the attorney that you hire go to meet with your child at the holding center so that they may conduct a complete interview of your child and the facts surrounding their case.
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Find out exactly what your child is charged with. If your child is being held in Onondaga County, that information, along with their inmate number for communications and upcoming court dates can be found on the County’s Website here: Inmate Lookup.
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If your child has already been arraigned and assigned to an attorney, reach out to that attorney, provide them with your name and contact information and offer to assist them in communications with your child in any way that you can.
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Research attorneys that handle the particular type of criminal case your child is charged with. Your child has the right to counsel of their choosing. If you or your child does not feel comfortable with his assigned attorney or feels that another attorney would be a better fit for the particular charges they are dealing with, they have the right to hire an attorney of their choosing.
Age of the child and the type of crime charged has a consequence in how involved that you are able to be throughout the pendency of the charges. Do not wait to get good legal advice. If your child was charged with a crime in Onondaga County, call me. I offer a free consultation so that we may discuss the details of your child’s case, and I can best advise you of the next steps. 315 474-5533
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