Juvenile Defense Attorney in Honolulu

Protecting the Future of Criminally Accused Minors

Nothing can limit a person's opportunities for employment and education more than a criminal conviction, which is bound to follow you around for the rest of your life. When a minor is convicted in criminal court, however, the effects can be particularly disastrous. If your child has been accused of committing a juvenile crime, you need to take the immediate steps necessary to safeguard their rights and future.

At the Law Office of Victor Bakke, ALC, we have represented countless individuals, including those charged with juvenile crimes. Contact our firm today to seek immediate legal support.

Don't let one small mistake dictate the rest of your son or daughter's life. With the help of our Honolulu criminal defense lawyer, Victor Bakke, you can face your future with confidence once again. We can defend your child's rights aggressively and provide you with a results-driven case strategy so that you may walk away with the most positive case result possible.

We have won 3,000+ cases. Our next win could be yours.

When it comes to providing unparalleled criminal defense and client-focused services, our firm is hard to beat. Our firm's founding lawyer has made a name for himself, having won 3,000 criminal cases during the course of his legal career, which spans two decades. His legal insight is regularly sought by various international and national media outlets. Simply put, he is the kind of criminal defense lawyer in Honolulu that you can trust with absolute confidence.

We understand that you probably have a lot of questions about the consequences of a juvenile crime conviction and how we can help you avoid or minimize the penalties. This is why our firm proudly offers a free case consultation to all of our potential clients.

Schedule yours today by filling out our form online or contacting us as soon as possible. The Law Office of Victor Bakke, ALC is here to help you reclaim the bright future you deserve to chase.

Learn more by watching these videos

What can happen to a juvenile when they are found guilty?

When a juvenile is found guilty of a criminal offense, the sentencing options are wide open for the judge. In Hawaii, the legal standard for the sentencing of a minor in family court is whatever is in the best interests of the minor. And that may include incarceration, but in most cases it requires or will entail strict supervision and counseling instead of jail time.

Do juveniles have the same right to counsel as do adults?

When children are arrested or under investigation, they have the same rights as adults to their right to counsel. So, not only do they have a right to speak to an attorney, but they also have a right to speak to their parents. However, you have to be careful, because like adults, they also have the ability to waive those rights. If your child is arrested, they should not talk to the police or investigators unless or until they exercise their right to talk to a lawyer and/or their parents.

What are juvenile diversion and mediation programs?

Unlike adults, when juveniles are arrested for minor offenses, they do have the opportunity sometimes to participate in a diversion program. The purpose of the diversion program is to deal with minor offenses that children are routinely involved in, such as criminal property damage, trespassing, things like that. What happens is the police will actually notify the parents of the opportunity to participate in such a program and then their parents will take the kids down to the police station one evening and will go through a counseling session.

If they do so, then the case is usually not referred to the courts and the case is closed. If you are given this opportunity, you should still contact an attorney to make sure that that is in fact, what is happening, because anytime you go down to the police station, you need to be careful.

Am I entitled to bail out of a juvenile detention center as an adult can bail out of jail?

The ability to post bail is different between juvenile and adult courts. In juvenile court, there is no right to post cash bail.

When a minor is arrested and held they will be taken before a judge. The judge can hold the minor without bail at the juvenile detention facility if that judge feels that the child is either:

• A flight risk
• A danger to the community
• Does not have a safe place to live

Do I have a right to a jury trial as a juvenile?

As a juvenile, you do not have a right to a jury trial. What that means it that your trial and your sentencing and everything related to your case will be handled by a single judge.