Juvenile Criminal Defense

The timely involvement by an experienced juvenile lawyer can often keep a pending case from being charged in court or mitigate the long-term impact that can result from the detention of a minor. If you are a parent who wants to defend your child from pending juvenile charges or criminal accusations, Cristine Beckwith is an experienced juvenile attorney & advocate in the greater Seattle & Tacoma areas.

Cristine is also a parent who understands and has compassion for her juvenile clients and their families. The information below has been provided to help you understand the criminal process for minors charged in Washington State, including the Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Puyallup, Olympia, Kent and Bellevue, WA areas.

The Juvenile Justice System has a stated goal of rehabilitating and treating minors who have committed a crime, such as assault or a felony sex crime. As a result of this goal, there are options and special programs to prevent the jailing of minors facing felony and misdemeanor charges in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, & Thurston County. These include:

• Treatment Programs
• Special Sexual Offender Disposition Alternative (SSODA) program
• School System Programs
• Community Supervision
• Informal and Formal Probation
• Various Community & Social Service Departments
• Diversion

It is important to be represented by an attorney who has extensive experience with juvenile court cases, as access to special programs is not automatic and may not be a good option in your child’s situation.

Unfortunately, many minors end up taking less than ideal plea bargains negotiated by their court appointed public defender. For felony juvenile convictions, the consequences can spill into adulthood and prevent entrance into a college or job of choice.

The juvenile legal system in Washington State gives law enforcement a lot of power in the handling of minors accused of a crime. The responding police officer can turn the minor over to a parent or legal guardian, even after an incident that will result in serious felony charges in the coming days. 

The police also have the authority to arrest and take the accused teen to a juvenile detention center. However, immediate detention is less common in juvenile cases than in adult cases. 

After charges are filed, a juvenile attorney can minimize the risk of jail by demonstrating to the court that your child is not a significant risk to the community and that a safety plan has been put in place. It is important that the court sees your teen's positive accomplishments and not just what may have been their worst moment.

When there are felony accusations, law enforcement can question minors at school, without the parent's knowledge. The police are not required to inform a minor that they can request the presence of a parent or guardian, but they do have to abide by the request if asked.

Since 2022, Washington State law has required minors to speak to a juvenile attorney before being interrogated by law enforcement. However, there are exceptions, such as imminent danger to a person's life. Law enforcement is not required to tell the truth when questioning and they will often try to trick minors into giving incriminating statements.

We have discovered that law enforcement is adjusting their tactics to circumvent this legislation. A juvenile defense attorney can fight to have harmful statements removed from evidence in these situations.

Serious juvenile felony offenses (violent assault crimes & sex crimes) can be declined by juvenile court and tried in adult court. Your child has a right to a declination hearing, where your juvenile attorney will argue that the case should stay in juvenile court. The penalties on these serious felony offenses are significantly higher in adult court, so it is important that your juvenile lawyer is experienced with the declination process.

There are many ways to defend juvenile cases and it is important to be represented by a juvenile criminal attorney who has a proven track record for getting the best possible result. It is also important to have someone in your corner who knows what types of crimes will stay on their juvenile record and what convictions can be cleared when they turn 18.

You do not want your child to start adulthood with a criminal record. Cristine Beckwith is an attorney who advocates for minors accused of a crime in the Puget Sound, including the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Puyallup, Olympia, Kent and Bellevue, WA. She can be contacted any day of the week to answer questions and discuss a defense strategy during the free consultation.

• Juvenile Sex Crimes
• Assault
• Vehicular Assault
• Burglary or Robbery
• Minor DUI
• Property Crimes
• Harassment (threats) or Stalking
• Criminal Driving Offenses
• MIP
• Theft or Shoplifting
• Domestic Violence
• Weapon Charges
• Malicious Mischief or Vandalism

Juvenile Court Locations in Western Washington

The King County Youth Service Center is where the juvenile court and detention facility are located. The address is 1211 East Alder Avenue, which is in Seattle's Central District and is one block South of Seattle University.

The juvenile court (Remann Hall) and the Pierce County Juvenile Detention Facility are located at 5501 6th Ave in Tacoma. The Juvenile Division is part of Pierce County Superior Court. Most juvenile matters are held at this location, except for declination hearings and trials. The declination hearings and trials are held at the County-City Building, which is located at 930 Tacoma Avenue South.

The Thurston County Family & Juvenile Court is located at 2801 32nd Ave SW in Tumwater. The Juvenile Detention Center is also located at this Tumwater facility. Although a separate facility, this court is a department of Thurston County Superior Court in Olympia, WA.

The Denney Juvenile Justice Center can be found at 2801 10th Street in Everett. The juvenile court and detention facility are at this location and are a division of Snohomish County Superior Court. 

This juvenile court is in Port Orchard and can be found at 1338 SW Old Clifton Road. It is part of Kitsap County Superior Court of Washington.

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