When a Miami child faces an accusation
A call from police or a school can leave a family unsure which process has begun. Miller & Jacobs helps Miami families understand a juvenile allegation, the child's custody status and the next required appearance. We assess the evidence while explaining the choices in language your child can follow.
Start with the child's age, agency and any notice. Tell us immediately if the child is detained or a hearing is approaching; do not wait until every document is organized.
Free initial consultation. Identify urgent custody or hearing concerns when you call.
Miami-Dade Youth
A separate process with its own court and deadlines
Child-Centered Advice
Explain the decision to the young person involved
Partner Led
Mark J. Miller or Rick S. Jacobs handles accepted matters
Clear Expectations
Discuss scope and legal fees before engagement
Find the next decision, not just the next appointment
Miami-Dade processing
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit describes local processing through Miami-Dade Juvenile Services and a detention-risk assessment. The assessment helps determine whether a child may be detained or released before the first hearing. Confirm actual custody information instead of traveling to a facility based on an assumption.
The court notice
Miami-Dade Children's Courthouse is at 155 NW 3rd Street. Confirm the child's assigned division, hearing time and attendance requirements from the current notice and counsel. A school meeting, police interview and juvenile hearing are separate events even when they involve the same incident.
A child in detention care
Florida generally requires a detention hearing within 24 hours for a child taken into custody and placed in detention care. The judge considers the applicable statutory criteria and information presented; an offer to bring the child home does not alone decide the result.
Counsel can review the risk assessment and a realistic plan for supervision, school and transportation. Identify a responsible adult and any treatment or medication needs. The plan must address the court's restrictions rather than simply promise that another incident will not happen.
Some allegations carry additional detention requirements. Ask how the exact charge affects the options. No lawyer can promise release or substitute a family agreement for a court order.
Verify local instructions before traveling. Use the current court notice and information from the child's actual facility. The courthouse and detention facility are not interchangeable destinations.
Examine the accusation, not only the proposed program
The defense should connect the alleged conduct to the individual child. A group chat, school report or short video may be important without answering every question. Give counsel the full record and avoid rehearsing a more favorable account.
Identify where a recording begins and ends, who made it and whether other angles exist. Original files and timestamps may help explain the sequence. Do not edit or delete a clip because part of it is difficult to explain.
Who was present, who acted and what each person knew may be disputed. Counsel can assess the state's theory and supporting evidence. Being nearby is not a complete explanation, but neither does a family member's reassurance resolve the legal question.
Keep information about the interviewer, setting, duration and any recording. Tell counsel what warnings or explanations were given. A statement needs review in its context, including the child's age and understanding.
A phone search, school search or police search can raise different issues. Identify who acted, the claimed authority and what was examined. Counsel can assess whether a lawful challenge is supported without promising that a disputed search ends the case.
In a juvenile adjudicatory hearing, the judge decides the case without a jury. The state must prove the allegation beyond a reasonable doubt. The defense can present evidence and question witnesses, and the child retains protection against compelled self-incrimination.
Your child needs a voice in the room
HELP YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THE NEXT DECISION
Compare the proposed case outcome
Miami-Dade's juvenile process may include diversion for eligible young people. Eligibility, the offer and the evidence all need review. The family should know what the child must do, what rights or admissions are involved and how completion is recorded.
What an offered program requires
Read the written offer for counseling, service, restitution, attendance and deadlines. Ask how school or treatment commitments will be accommodated. A recommendation for a program should address the child's actual ability to meet its conditions.
Find out what happens after a missed requirement and who confirms completion. Failure to complete diversion can allow prosecution to resume. Finishing a program and obtaining record relief are separate questions.
Do not assume that being young, having no prior case or receiving a recommendation guarantees a particular program. Each route has legal and program-specific criteria, and the prosecutor's decision must be confirmed.
A proposed program does not make the underlying allegation true. Counsel should assess identification, the conduct alleged and how evidence was obtained before comparing a contested hearing with an offered resolution.
A parent can support the discussion but should not treat a plea as a school permission form. The young person needs to understand the rights given up, the proposed disposition and supervision. Ask for an explanation the child can repeat in their own words.
Florida permits adult prosecution of certain juvenile allegations under statutory criteria. The child's age and charge matter. Counsel should assess that issue early rather than assume that every allegation against someone under 18 remains in juvenile court.
Tell us what is happening next
Call with the child's age, custody status, agency and next known date. Miller & Jacobs can discuss whether it can accept the case and what information is needed. Keep detailed allegations and sensitive child records out of a general website inquiry.
Call 954-465-8733The initial consultation is free. Ask about fees, scope and possible investigation costs before deciding to engage the firm.
Bring the papers that explain the immediate problem
Pending events: detention or court hearings, interviews, school meetings and program deadlines, with copies of the notices.
Existing records: the allegation, messages already lawfully available and the locations of possible recordings or witnesses.
Support needs: treatment, medication, learning or communication needs, transport and the adult available to supervise.
Serving Miami through our South Florida practice: the Pompano Beach office is at 1600 S. Federal Highway, Suite 1101, Pompano Beach, FL 33062. The Children's Courthouse is a court location, not a firm office.
Discuss how the representation will work
Mark J. Miller or Rick S. Jacobs handles accepted matters. Explain any communication or learning needs so counsel can discuss the process appropriately. Ask who will attend court and how the child and family will receive updates.
Partner
Mark J. Miller is a partner at Miller & Jacobs. His biography provides background for the conversation about the legal work proposed for your child's matter.
Partner
Rick S. Jacobs is a partner at Miller & Jacobs. Review his biography and discuss the allegations, possible court paths and scope of the engagement.
Questions about the child, the case and the record
Custody, the allegation, school discipline and the record are separate issues. Resolving one does not necessarily finish the others. These general answers identify points for individual legal review.
Confirm the child's actual custody status and the hearing notice. The Miami-Dade Children's Courthouse is at 155 NW 3rd Street, but facility contact and visitation may involve a different location. Ask counsel or the appropriate court office about the specific event before traveling.
Not by itself. A parent can provide support and information, but the child's legal rights and understanding must be addressed. Ask counsel to explain what the plea would admit, the rights given up and the proposed consequences directly to the child.
No. A school's action does not necessarily resolve a police investigation or delinquency case. Keep each notice and deadline. Ask counsel how a response in one process may affect the other before submitting a detailed account.
No. Age alone does not establish that a record has disappeared or that every disclosure question can be answered no. Obtain the actual disposition and review the application wording. Eligibility for record relief requires a separate check.
Keep the completion notice and confirm the prosecutor's or court's final disposition. Ask separately about record relief and its eligibility requirements. Do not treat attendance at the last program session as proof that every record is restricted.
Raise the conflict promptly with counsel and provide the written requirement and schedule. A change may need approval. Continue to comply with current conditions while clarification is sought rather than assuming the conflict excuses noncompliance.
