Lemoore Juvenile Crime Lawyer

Lemoore Juvenile Crime Attorney

A Lemoore Juvenile Crime Defense Attorney Who Used to Prosecute These Cases

Something happened, and now your kid’s whole future feels like it’s on the line. Maybe you keep picturing them locked in a cell overnight. Maybe you’re picturing the moment a college application asks if they’ve ever been arrested. Whatever led to this, they are still the same kid they were last week, and one case doesn’t get to decide who they become.

I spent 15 years inside the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, seeing exactly how prosecutors decide whether to push a juvenile case forward. Now, as your Lemoore juvenile crime lawyer, I use that same knowledge to keep kids out of the system instead of stuck inside it. Families I’ve represented have watched their child walk away from a case like this with their record clean and their future still theirs.

Walk me through what happened, and let’s figure out where your child’s case stands.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

The Juvenile Charges Bringing Lemoore Families to Our Door

Every family who calls me is dealing with something different, but the fear underneath it is the same. Here are the juvenile matters I handle most often for families in Lemoore and across Kings County:

• Theft, shoplifting, and vandalism allegations
• Assault, fighting, and criminal threats at school or in the community
• Drug and alcohol charges, including possession and DUI
• Weapons possession allegations
• Gang-related and violent felony allegations, including cases that could trigger a hearing to move a case to adult court
• Sex offense allegations, which carry consequences that follow a young person the longest

Whatever the police report says today, my job is to make sure it does not become the last word on who your child is.

What a Kings County Juvenile Case Really Puts at Risk

California law treats juveniles differently than adults, but different does not mean small. Under Welfare and Institutions Code § 602, the juvenile court has authority over kids who are 12 to 17 years old. Kids under 12 are usually not in the juvenile court system at all, unless they’re accused of one of a short list of very serious crimes, like certain sex offenses.

For the most serious allegations, prosecutors can ask a judge to send your child to adult court under Welfare and Institutions Code § 707, where the exposure is measured in years instead of months and the protections of juvenile court disappear.

The record itself carries its own risk. A juvenile case that is never sealed can still show up on background checks for college, housing, and certain jobs years later. Sealing that record is the outcome I work toward starting at the very first hearing, not something to think about after the fact.

This information reflects California juvenile law as of August 2026.

How a Juvenile Case Moves From a Lemoore Arrest to Kings County Court

Lemoore does not have its own juvenile court. Every juvenile case, whether the arrest happened at school, near NAS Lemoore, or anywhere else in the city, is filed at the Kings County Superior Court at 1640 Kings County Drive in Hanford, about 10 minutes from downtown Lemoore.

Intake and probation supervision run through the county’s Juvenile Services Division at 1400 W. Lacey Boulevard, also in Hanford, and a child who is detained is held at the Kings County Juvenile Center rather than an adult facility.

Before I represented families, I sat on the other side of this same courthouse as a prosecutor. As a Lemoore juvenile crime attorney, I use that experience to tell you, honestly, what the judges and probation officers in this building are actually looking for, not just what the law says on paper. That is what turns a confusing process into one you can follow, step by step.

Questions Lemoore Parents Ask a Juvenile Crime Attorney

Q: What court will handle my child’s case?

A: If your child was arrested in Lemoore, the case is filed with the Kings County Superior Court in Hanford, since Lemoore does not have a separate juvenile court. I represent families at every hearing there, from the first detention hearing through disposition.

Q: Can my child really be tried as an adult?

A: In some serious cases, yes. California law lets prosecutors ask the court to move certain teenagers accused of serious felonies into adult court, but the judge must first find your child cannot be rehabilitated in the juvenile system, and that finding is exactly what I fight to prevent.

Q: Will my child go to jail?

A: Not automatically. Many first-time and lower-level cases are resolved with informal probation or a diversion program that keeps your child at home. Detention at the Kings County Juvenile Center is reserved for cases the court sees as a safety risk, and I push hard to keep your child out of it.

Q: Will this stay on my child’s record forever?

A: Not necessarily. Many juvenile records can eventually be sealed, which is one reason why how the case is handled from day one matters so much. I build every case with sealing in mind from the start, not as an afterthought.

Q: Does Kings County offer diversion for a first juvenile offense?

A: Often, yes, for cases that qualify. Diversion can mean your child never ends up with a formal juvenile record once they complete what the court requires. Whether your child qualifies depends on the charge and their history, and that is something I review at our first conversation.

Q: What does it cost to hire a juvenile criminal defense attorney in Lemoore?

A: Every case is different, so I go over the cost at your consultation once I understand the charge and what your child is facing. If needed, criminal defense can help protect your child’s rights throughout the case. I am licensed with the State Bar of California, Bar No. 207232, and have spent my career on both sides of Kings County courtrooms.

Q: My child already talked to the police. Is it too late to call you?

A: It is not too late. What your child already said matters, but it does not have to be the whole story the court hears. The sooner I am involved, the more I can do to protect them going forward. Reach out and let’s talk about where your child’s case stands right now.

Call a Lemoore Juvenile Criminal Defense Lawyer Before Your Child’s Next Court Date

You do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to wait until the next hearing to get help. Contact Carlos Navarrete Law Firm today for a confidential consultation about your child’s case. I represent families in Lemoore and throughout Kings County, in English and in Spanish, and I will tell you honestly what I see in your child’s case and what we can do about it.