Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested two minors earlier this week after a fight at Ribault High School, according to an article in the Florida Times Union. A fourteen year-old and thirteen year-old boy were arrested for battery on a school official, which is a felony in Jacksonville. A third child, a seventeen year-old, is also facing being arrested on this battery charge. The fight was captured on a video that was posted on a social media site. There was a fight among the minors and when the assistant principal tried to break it up, he was allegedly battered by the three children.
When any minor juvenile is arrested in Duval or Clay County, they are taken to the Juvenile Detention Center on 8th Street in downtown Jacksonville. The Department of Juvenile Justice analyzes the charge and the child’s prior arrest history of lack thereof. The child is assigned a score that determines whether or not they will remain detained. If their score is less than “12”, the child is released to the parents or guardians. If the child scores 12 or over, they are held overnight and will be in front of a judge within 24 hours to determine ongoing detention. If your child is arrested, contact an experienced Juvenile Arrest Lawyer in Jacksonville as soon as possible. Even if your child is held overnight, they can still be released by the judge the next day if the proper arguments are made to the Court.
These children have been charged with battery on a school official in Duval County. A school official is defined as any person who is an employee of a school district, a private school, any state university or any other entity of the state system of public education. Basically any person who works in a school. A battery in Florida is defined as intentionally touching a person against their will or intentionally physically harming a person. This is normally a first degree misdemeanor, but becomes elevated to a felony if the alleged victim is a school official. It is classified as a third degree felony.
When a child is arrested on any juvenile charge in Jacksonville, they are not facing prison per se. The only way a minor can be sent to prison is if the State Attorney’s Office files paperwork to treat the child as an adult. In most Duval juvenile cases, the child is treated as a child in the juvenile court system. While there are no prisons or jails, there are levels of punishment that include detention. As the charge becomes more severe, so do the possible levels of punishment.
If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Juvenile Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.