Massachusetts Juvenile Defense Attorneys

The juvenile criminal defense lawyers at The Massachusetts Criminal Defense Group specialize in the defense of juveniles accused of criminal wrongdoing throughout the Massachusetts Juvenile Court System including Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and all surrounding communities.

A child as young as seven (7) and as old as sixteen (16) may be charged with a criminal offense in the Juvenile Court system.  Juveniles may be charged with any criminal offense that adults face, but with a maximum sentence of Commitment to the Department of Youth Services (DYS) until the age of eighteen (18).  Your son or daughter won't be found guilty, but will be adjudicated as a delinquent, an equivalent to guilt.  Our attorneys will do everything it takes to make sure your child stays out of DYS.

The District Attorney in any county of The Massachusetts Court System may also decide to present your child's case to the grand jury, asking them to indict your child as a Youthful Offender.  This means that your child would be tried as an adult with the potential for adult penalties, including jail or prison.  

Our Juvenile Criminal Defense Attorneys
Have Vast Knowledge Of
The Youthful Offender Statute

MGL c. 119 §58 is what regulates the Youthful Offender statute, and our attorneys negotiate with the District Attorney to resolve the juvenile's case short of the indictment.

Not every court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a juvenile court, therefore if you live:

• On the Cape, juvenile cases are heard in Barnstable, Orleans, Falmouth, Edgartown, and Nantucket.


• In Western Massachusetts, juvenile matters are heard in Pittsfield, North Adams, Great Barrington, Springfield, Holyoke, Palmer, Hadley, Belchertown, Greenfield, or Orange.


• In Worcester County or in Central Massachusetts, matters are heard in Worcester, Dudley, Fitchburg, Milford, or Leominster.


• If you live along the South Shore or South Coast, juvenile cases are heard in Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, Attleboro, Stoughton, Brockton, Wareham, Hingham, or Quincy.


• In the Greater Boston area, juvenile matters are heard in Boston, Dorchester, Chelsea, West Roxbury, Dedham, Framingham, Waltham, and Cambridge.


• On the North Shore, juvenile cases are heard in Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn, Salem, and Newburyport.

Collectively, our defense team has experience in all of the courts.  We know where the busiest courts are in the Commonwealth and we know that the most common juvenile crimes relate to breaking and entering, drug crimes, and larceny.

No matter which court has jurisdiction over your child's criminal matter, the reality is that today's juvenile court is a criminal court.  Juveniles fall under the same Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure and are prosecuted by the same District Attorneys.  Juveniles are also subject to the same confusing and adversarial system as adults, including arraignment, bail, conditions of pretrial release, and trial.  Our attorneys, however, know that all negotiations for juveniles start with the District Attorney, but end with probation and the judge.  We work hard to negotiate and provide an alternative to DYS commitment, while also working with your child to become a better citizen.

Our Attorneys Develop a Rapport With
Both the Client and His or Her Parents

Working with parents and the probation department, we use our best efforts to convince the court that an agreement for the juvenile offender to meet certain conditions, including home detention, probation, drug or alcohol counseling and testing makes more sense than sending them off to state custody.

Our Massachusetts Juvenile Defense Lawyers know that the Government builds its case against juveniles, and we know where to find problems of proof in its case.  We are fierce advocates for minors charged with crimes, along with understanding the anxiety that arises when our children experience trouble with the law.  Most importantly, while juvenile crimes may include more serious penalties nowadays, they also have the tendency to damage one's reputation, employment prospects and educational opportunities down the road.  Accordingly, our defense lawyers work aggressively to obtain alternative dispositions and later file motions to seal any criminal record.

Our Criminal Juvenile Defense Lawyers
Stand Between Your Child and the Government

Let us evaluate your case for weaknesses and possible reasons to force the prosecution to drop the charges.  With the proper defense strategy, we can often get the charges dropped, or greatly reduced.  Don't let juvenile criminal challenges set your family back.