What to Do if Your Child Is Arrested in Connecticut

Stamford Connecticut Juvenile Rights Attorney

When you get a call that your child is in police custody or that an officer wants to "talk to" your son or daughter, your heart skips a beat. Your mind races ahead to all the worst case scenarios: your child may locked up with criminal repeat offenders, branded a criminal, and have to say goodbye to college and a career.

Criminal charges can be scary and demoralizing for a minor or young adult. There is the real possibility that this episode will adversely affect your child's future. The number one goal is to prevent those consequences.

What to Do if Your Child Is Arrested or Detained

As soon as possible, contact a lawyer who can explain your child's constitutional and legal rights, protect those rights and give you a realistic picture of what's happening.

Stamford juvenile court attorney Daniel P. Weiner has more than 40 years of experience with the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal courts of Connecticut. As a former juvenile prosecutor and as a defense lawyer, he has handled thousands of juvenile and young adult cases. He provides quality juvenile defense and criminal defense representation for any allegations, including shoplifting or theft, assaults or school fights, burglary or vandalism, underage DUI or serious felonies such as sexual assault or robbery.

Mr. Weiner will find out answers to the pressing issues:

• Where is your child being held and by whom?
• What exactly are the accusations or criminal charges?
• Is your child detained for questioning or formally arrested?
• Will your child be released to you? Will you need to post bond?
• When is the first court date?
• Is your child being charged as an adult for a serious felony?

Can They Question My Child? Do We Need an Attorney?

The police, school officials or security personnel at a store have the right to detain a juvenile in relation to any criminal investigation. They can question that juvenile without a parent or lawyer present. Ideally, your child should exercise his or her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. Unfortunately, the police know which buttons to push.

At the first opportunity you have to talk with your child, make sure he or she does not give any further statements. Make sure that you or your child do not reveal any potentially incriminating evidence in the presence of the police. There will be an opportunity at a later time for private discussions with your child and the attorney.

Arrest warrants — Sometimes an arrest comes days, weeks or months after the alleged crime. If you are contacted about a warrant, Mr. Weiner can advise your child on how to turn himself or herself in to avoid giving a potentially incriminating statement to the police and how to avoid an embarrassing public arrest.

In most cases, your child will be released into your custody and given a court date. If police believe your child has committed a serious crime, he or she will be placed under arrest and read their Miranda rights. At that point, your child can — and should — demand to talk to a lawyer.

Attorney Weiner will work to get your child out of juvenile detention at the earliest possible time. He will represent your child at all juvenile court appearances, criminal court appearances or school hearings. He will take the time to explain all potential penalties and explore every option for resolving the charges.

Juvenile Defense ● Free Consultations

E-mail us or call us at 203-348-5846 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced juvenile delinquency and youthful offender attorney. We also advise college students (and their parents) on criminal and DUI matters.

Attorney Weiner speaks both Spanish and French fluently.