Sending or receiving explicit photos of a child in Virginia is criminal offense and could result child pornography felony charges, even if the parties involved are all minors. Virginia state legislators have made an effort to reduce the potential consequences for minors caught sexting, by making minor sexting a misdemeanor, but none of these bills…

No matter how old you are, a criminal conviction will usually result in negative consequences. Consequences will differ based on the age of the defendant, the type of crime committed, the circumstances surrounding the incident and the defendant’s criminal history. Many people believe that a conviction stemming from a juvenile criminal offense will be sealed…

Young people nowadays use social media as a way to communicate with their peers and share information. However, some teens in Virginia take things too far by using websites and apps like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, to engage in cyberbullying. Cyberbullying may involve sending threats online or posting hostile or vulgar messages directed at another…

If you are accused of a crime as a juvenile in Virginia, you may be tried as a juvenile or adult. If a juvenile is tried and convicted as an adult, they could face the same consequences as someone over the age of 18, even if they are still a minor. In order to be…

Social media has become a main part of teenagers’ lives, especially with the popularity of photo-share apps like Snapchat. However, when a teen uses these apps to make threats or encourage violence towards others, they may face criminal charges. A Virginia teen recently was taken into custody for a hoax involving school violence at a…

Children and teenagers facing criminal charges have a lot at stake. With their whole futures ahead of them, a juvenile criminal offense can have a major impact on their lives for years to come. A 17-year-old boy was charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer after an altercation in Virginia Beach. The incident…

When a minor is charged with a crime, they will likely go through a different court process from what an adult would for the same crime. According to the law, the juvenile court system generally covers children between the ages of 7 and 18. If a minor under the age of 7 commits a crime,…

When youth in Virginia and elsewhere find themselves in trouble, they many think that they will get off easily. Although juvenile offenders face less harsh penalties when compared to their adult counterparts, this does not keep the minor entirely free from facing serious consequences. Even though a juvenile may enter the legal system through juvenile…

When we hear about criminal offenders, we don’t think that could be us and we certainly do not think it could be our own sons or daughters. However, numerous juveniles in Virginia and other states across the nation are accused of minor and major offenses every year. This not only requires the juvenile’s parent or…

Is it good for society when defendants are given long prison sentences or other severe penalties for crimes they committed while they were minors? A growing number of American communities say no. In the past, many politicians argued that the best way to crack down on juvenile crime was to lock up young defendants. It’s…