Having your child arrested as a juvenile can bring up a lot of uncertainty about their future. You could be wondering if your child will receive a formal charge and how this will affect them going forward.
If your child wants to go to college, there may be some obstacles if they receive a juvenile charge. Receiving acceptance to a university may not be a problem unless the crime committed was a violent felony.
Obstacles to overcome
The first problem that could arise is receiving financial aid. The government does not extend financial assistance to all prospective students who have a criminal record. Your child may not qualify for financial aid if the juvenile court has charged them with a drug offense. However, if the court charged them with a non-violent or non-drug related felony, they may receive financial aid still.
Can a juvenile record be expunged?
In North Carolina, your child’s juvenile charge can be expunged from their record. The court will seal their record, which means the public will not have access to it. The obstacles mentioned earlier could still affect your child in the future, however.
If your child could potentially receive a juvenile charge or conviction, you might want to get in touch with a criminal defense lawyer. The earlier your lawyer is involved in the process, the more likely they will be able to mitigate any penalties.