Leading Criminal Defense Attorney Edward La Rue Clarifies What Happens When A Minor Faces Drug Charges - Cleveland, OH

Top Criminal Defense Attorney and founding partner of the Law Offices Edward R. La Rue, in Cleveland, Ohio, explains what happens when a minor is caught with drugs and charged with a possession offense. For more information please visit https://www.edwardrlarue.com

Cleveland, Ohio, United States - October 2, 2023 —

The implications of drug charges being leveled against minors can have devastating effects on their lives, mainly if they haven’t considered the potential consequences, disclosed Ohio Defense Attorney Edward R. La Rue.

For more information please visit https://www.edwardrlarue.com

In an interview this week, he sought to clarify several points surrounding the impact of drug charges against minors. “The term minors relates to a person under 18 years, and it is a criminal offense for them, just as an adult, to unlawfully possess drugs.”

Drugs, also known as controlled substances, can include anything from prescriptions to illicit narcotics, such as LSD, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.

The founding partner of the Law Offices of Edward R. La Rue in Cleveland, OH, said that minors charged with related drug offenses, from simple possession to dealing or trafficking, could face any number of penalties.

While juvenile detention is one option, other considerations for a court would be probation, fines and drug counseling.

“However, the penalties imposed will depend on several conditions, including the amount of a drug in a minor’s possession, the state where it occurred and their individual history and criminal background, if they have one,” he detailed.

The state where a minor is being processed is a significant point, as each state will have a different approach to minors facing the same drug offense.

Mr La Rue commented that a minor could be prosecuted as an adult depending on the seriousness of the felony charge and their criminal background.

But most will be prosecuted through juvenile drug courts and be subject to specialist treatment programs as against punishment. Drug counseling and rehabilitation are the two major approaches here.

While no legal quantity of drug possession is considered for minors, those that face felony offenses due to the large volume of drugs found in their possession will most likely be subject to juvenile detention, house arrest or electronic monitoring as punishment.

Mr La Rue said that families of minors facing drug charges should consult with an experienced attorney in this field to establish their state’s sentencing laws and discuss how to defend their child in court.

For example, he said that in Ohio, youngsters under 18 arrested for possessing drugs will be alleged “delinquent”. This classification of an offense typically focuses the Court on getting the child to a drug counselor for an assessment and to get some drug abuse education and rehabilitation as opposed to punishment.

As with adults under Ohio law, Felony and misdemeanor charges for drug possession are based on the weight of the controlled substance involved. So, possessing 100 grams of cannabis or fewer is treated as a misdemeanor.

A minor on a delinquency charge will not often go to jail unless the charges are of a more violent nature. Instead, the minor is likely to be subject to counseling, community service and probation.

He said that an alternative sentencing option is pretrial diversion. If the judge and prosecutor agree, a plan can include completing a drug education program and being subject to regular drug testing.

Source: http://RecommendedExperts.biz

Contact Info:
Name: Edward R. La Rue
Email: Send Email
Organization: Edward R. La Rue, Attorney at Law
Address: 323 W. Lakeside Avenue, Suite 210, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Phone: (216) 304-4850
Website: https://www.edwardrlarue.com

Release ID: 89108615

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