As a former Senior – Career Arapahoe – Douglas County District Attorney – in his13 years (1984 – 1997) years as a prosecutor – H. Michael was assigned to the prosecution of hundreds of juvenile prosecutions. As a Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer for the last 16 years (1997 – 2013) – he has successfully handled hundreds more juvenile cases.
Juvenile criminal defense lawyers must be specialized in this area and must have specialized training and experience to be effective on behalf of their clients… essentially just children. Because Juvenile Court is different than adult court – an experienced lawyer in adult may be incompetent to practice in juvenile court.
Where your child’s freedom and future is at stake…go with experience every time.
Here is the statute referenced in the article that linked you to this page:
(1) In addition to any sentence imposed pursuant to this section, any juvenile who has been adjudicated a juvenile delinquent for the commission of cruelty to animals, as described in section 18-9-202 (1) (a), C.R.S., in which the underlining factual basis of which has been found by the court to include the knowing or intentional torture or torment of an animal which needlessly injures, mutilates, or kills an animal, may be ordered to complete an anger management treatment program or any other treatment program deemed appropriate by the court.
(2) The court may order an evaluation to be conducted prior to disposition if an evaluation would assist the court in determining an appropriate disposition. The parents or legal guardian of the juvenile ordered to undergo an evaluation shall be required to pay the cost of the evaluation. If the evaluation results in a recommendation of treatment and if the court so finds, the juvenile shall be ordered to complete an anger management treatment program or any other treatment program deemed appropriate by the court.
(3) The disposition for any juvenile who has been adjudicated a juvenile delinquent a second or subsequent time, the underlying factual basis of which has been found by the court to include an act of cruelty to animals, as described in section 18-9-202 (1) (a), C.R.S., shall include the completion of an anger management treatment program or any other treatment program deemed appropriate by the court.
(4) Nothing in this section shall preclude the court from ordering treatment in any appropriate case.
(5) This section does not apply to the treatment of pack or draft animals by negligently overdriving, overloading, or overworking them, or the treatment of livestock and other animals used in the farm or ranch production of food, fiber, or other agricultural products when such treatment is in accordance with accepted animal husbandry practices, the treatment of animals involved in activities regulated pursuant to article 60 of title 12, C.R.S., the treatment of animals involved in research if such research facility is operating under rules and regulations set forth by the state or federal government, the treatment of animals involved in rodeos, the treatment of dogs used for legal hunting activities, or to statutes regulating activities concerning wildlife and predator control in the state, including trapping.