As per criminal law as applicable to these situations in the United States of America, there are certain provisions for punishments for juvenile vehicle theft. Auto theft by juvenile criminals is one of the most pervasive crimes in this country. Though the exact level of punishments may vary depending upon the state the crime has taken place in, in most cases, the juvenile convicted of such a crime has to face incarceration in adult or juvenile prison cells. Following is a brief rundown on the possible penalties and punishments that might be applicable in this type of case.
Waiver To Adult Court
Depending upon the specific factors involved in a case, the laws may require the juvenile who committed vehicle theft to be waived to adult court. However, the exact criminal law provisions vary from one state to another when it comes to deciding how, when and under which circumstances such waiver to adult court can be ordered. The exact levels of punishments for juvenile vehicle theft also vary accordingly because when the accused is waived to an adult court, he or she is tried and prosecuted as an adult, not as a juvenile. It means, if the court finds them guilty and convicts them, they may have to face harsher sentences, incarceration in an adult prison or adult probation. Hence, the accused is advised to hire a criminal defense lawyer to represent them in court.
Home Detention Or Incarceration
Incarceration or home detention is very much likely to be awarded to those juveniles who have already received the benefit of probation in past for similar or other offenses. Home detention or incarceration is also possible in cases where the court does not find it appropriate to allow the juvenile to receive the benefit from the services of the probation department. Incarceration can be awarded until the juvenile turns eighteen or for a designated period of time. Incarceration can be at a state or county juvenile facility. On the other hand, if the punishments for juvenile vehicle theft include home detention, the convicted juvenile will have to stay in his or her home for most of the time; their ability to leave the house will be limited to some specific occasions or reasons, such as when they have to leave for a court, medical, church or school related reason.
Alternatives To Incarceration, Such As Probation
In many cases, when a juvenile is convicted on the charges of vehicle theft, they may be placed on informal or formal probation by the court. Some specific requirements for probation may include reporting to a probation officer, obeying curfew, attending school, and other such things. There are several factors that are taken into account in order to decide whether the juvenile should be offered the benefit of probation as an alternative to incarceration. There can be a wide array of such grounds, such as there are reasonable factors that let the court believe that the juvenile can be reformed, the juvenile is someone who does not have any (or very little) criminal history, or that the juvenile is still very young.
Overall, there can be different types of punishments for juvenile vehicle theft depending upon the nature of crime and the past record of the juvenile who committed the crime.