Alabama Divorce & Family Law Attorney Blog : Birmingham Divorce Lawyer & Attorney : Eversole Law Firm : Serving Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile Alabama

Based on a recent news article, police in Mobile, AL, have arrested a teenage boy for soliciting sex from a female law enforcement officer posing as a prostitute during a recent sting operation to catch adults buying sex on the street. According to police reports, the female police officer attempted to run the 13-year-old suspect away from the scene, but the child continued to return.

As a Birmingham family law attorney and Alabama divorce lawyer, I know the how much trouble teenagers and pre-teens can get themselves into from time to time. Juveniles like the kid in this situation don’t always know the consequences of their actions, which is why the law treats them differently from adults.

While children can get themselves into big trouble by committing serious crimes, usully it’s just a case of kids being kids -- not that they should be excused, but children typically test the limits of their behavior by going over the line occasionally. As a juvenile defense lawyer, my experience tells me that most kids make mistakes that and should be treated as juveniles, although a smaller percentage truly require an adult-style criminal defense.

In this case, the child was charged with a misdemeanor count of loitering while looking for a prostitute. Even seasoned veterans of the Mobile police department were surprised by news of the arrest -- according to new reports, the next-youngest suspect nabbed in the sting was 22 years old.

One patrolman, Officer Christopher Levy, said he had never heard of a juvenile john being arrested. “It sounds very young,” said Levy acting as a spokesman for the Mobile Police Department.

The arrest occurred during a prostitution sting operation that was set up in a residential area earlier in November after citizen complaints started coming in about prostitutes trolling for business around three intersections. An officer playing the part of a hooker noticed a would-be customer looked a little young.

Police reported that the child approached the undercover officer and allegedly propositioned her for sex and the officer tried several times to get the 13-year-old to move on. According to police, the youngster kept returning so she had no choice but to arrest the boy, along with fifteen adults who were arrested on various prostitution and drug-related charges.

Prostitution sting snares boy, 13, PNJ.com, November 18, 2009
 

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Being a Birmingham divorce and family law attorney, I’ve seen the trouble that juveniles can get into. Sometimes it’s a serious crime, many times its just kids being kids. That doesn’t mean they should always be excused, but testing the limits of behavior is a natural part of growing up. As an Alabama lawyer who knows how youngsters think and act gives me the ability to defend them as juveniles whenever possible.

Most minors who become entangled with Alabama law enforcement are technically charged with committing a delinquent act -- but not a crime. Still a child convicted of juvenile delinquency can have a hard go of it in the future. If your juvenile son or daughter is charged with a crime, I strongly recommend that you seek the services of an attorney well versed in this area of the law.

A recent news report describes some teenagers who may have gone beyond mischief. As a family law and juvenile defense attorney, I’m familiar with defending individuals accused of delinquency and other criminal charges. Just some of the acts juveniles are arrested for include drug-related crimes, such as drug possession, sales and manufacturing; firearms charges, shoplifting and other theft crimes, vandalism and other property crimes; and occasionally serious or violent crimes.

According news reports, Madison County Sheriff's investigators and the Huntsville Police Department arrested three teenagers on the evening of August 25. They were accused of stealing a dozen cars, joyriding around Huntsville and then attempting to sell the stolen vehicles.

Investigator Brent Patterson said several teens apparently broke into the We Finance Auto Sales company on U.S. 231 N. in Hazel Green and stole keys to the dealership's vehicles. Police reports indicated that the youths shopped around the lot, drove a dozen of them away and abandoned them at several locations in Huntsville, mostly in the Council Court and Butler Terrace areas, Investigator Patterson said.

The Huntsville Police Department's north precinct helped the sheriff's department find some of the missing vehicles. The two agencies worked together to pull over two of the stolen cars, one on Joppa Circle and one on Knollbrook Drive. Officers chased a suspect briefly on Knollbrook before arresting him, Patterson said.

Investigators charged 18-year-old Tymane Demone Ford with receiving stolen property and third-degree burglary. He is being held in the Madison County Jail on a $4,000 bond. The second teen, Pierre Marquez Sims, 19, was charged with four counts of first-degree theft of property. He's being held on an $8,000 bond.

According to reports, investigators also arrested an unnamed juvenile who was sent to the Neaves-Davis Center for Children. At the time of the news article police had warrants out for several others they believe were involved.

3 teens arrested in car thefts, AL.com, August 27, 2009

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Boys will be boys. That’s more than just a quaint saying here in Alabama. It’s one way of expressing the fact that youngsters have their own way of learning and growing up. People refer to “bad” kids as juvenile delinquents, losers or just plain troublemakers. Crimes, mostly property damage, theft and shoplifting, are unfortunately a part of some adolescents’ learning process on the way to becoming an adult. Needless to say, many parents are distressed to see a child of theirs commit any crime, but it’s important to remember, this is not the end of the world.

As a Birmingham juvenile defense attorney, I understand the way kids think and how they can become pulled into activities that would make their families cringe. I also know that not every child who commits a crime is a bad seed destined for a life of criminal activity. I can see it from the parents’ perspective and realize that most young people have great potential and much to offer society in their adult lives. That’s one of the reasons why I became a lawyer in the first place.

When it comes to juvenile defense, it is essential to understand that kids are always experimenting with the limits of acceptable behavior -- it’s a normal part of growing up, even though it can sometimes mean a brush with the law. Many of the children I have represented find themselves in a difficult family situation. Some made friends with the wrong crowd. On the whole, most of the youngsters I defend against a delinquency charge got there through a simple mistake or lack of good judgment, not because of a permanent malevolent streak.

I take juvenile defense very seriously, especially because these types of charges could affect an individual’s future direction in life. A one-time mistake or curious experimentation should never be allowed to overshadow the rest of a young life or limit a child’s future opportunities for success.

Most minors who get in trouble with the law in Alabama are typically charged with a delinquent act -- not a crime. But charges of juvenile delinquency still can have a lasting affect on a kid’s psyche, causing trouble in school and creating a poor self image. Conviction for such acts can result in a juvenile criminal record and exposure to additional bad influences. A guilty verdict can also affect future opportunities, such as qualifying for a student loan.

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