Are there special considerations for young offenders?

We’ve got one of the biggest colleges here in Orlando, and that’s the University of Central Florida. We see a reasonable amount of recreational marijuana use first time offenders.

Some considerations for the high school or college student are that not only will there be criminal sanctions for possession, even a simple possession of marijuana, but there are also going to be school ramifications, disciplinary boards, and programs.

We have represented students who have faced these charges. There are also very good programs for the juvenile offender. They’re like the diversion program.

There’s one called Teen Court, which is specifically catered for teens. It’s actually people that been through the Teen Court that sit as the jury, and a local attorney will sit as judge. You’ll have a teen advocate be your criminal defense attorney, and a teen advocate will be your prosecutor.

They will argue to the teen jury, and the teen jury decides what sanctions to impose based on a particular formula they use. The end result for the first time drug charge teen offender is to have that case dismissed. There are some sanctions that are decided by the teens jury that the defendant will have to comply with.

There are driver’s license ramifications and school ramifications to drug law. You really need a well-versed attorney that’s able to advise you as to what may be around the next corner so you can make educated decisions as you go through the process.