Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

local California D.A." stating my son (age 12) was facing a number of sexual misconduct charges 288a, 1192.7c6, 290, 647.6a,243.4e1. We recently moved to a new area, and my son was at the neighbors house, agreed. He is 12 and acts 12, he does not know what sex is, in fact we have not had "the talk". The charges are crazy. The PD followed up and interviewed others and filed report w/ AG, we had no knowledge of any of this until last week when the court docs were received. Hearing is scheduled for 8/31. The charges are from 4/07-9/08. This is crazy, where to turn.

Thank you in advance.


Asked on 8/23/09, 3:39 pm

3 Answers from Attorneys
Robert Marshall Law Office of Robert L, Marshall

Your son needs an attorney. I assume he has been ordered to appear in juvenile court on a delinquency case, which is the juvenile equivalent of a criminal prosecution.

If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, the judge will appoint one to represent you.

Most 12 year olds today are very sexually aware, from what they see in movies, TV and magazines. There is always a kid who brings some sort of porn to school, too. The problem is that they lack the maturity to know what is appropriate and sometimes act out what they see in the media.

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Answered on 8/23/09, 3:47 pm
Gary Polston The Law Office of Gary M. Polston

I agree completely with Mr. Marshall. Get an attorney in your area asap (which I do not believe that I am). Your son is looking at some very long term consequences and needs professional counsel.

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Answered on 8/24/09, 6:27 pm
Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

Messrs. Marshall and Polston are right. The fact that you haven't had "the talk" with your son yet does not mean he is uninformed about sex. Most 12-year-old boys have spent a lot of time discussing it with their peers and looking for sexual content on TV, in adult magazines, online, etc. They often pick up a lot of misinformation along the way. These days, "the talk" is more about giving guidance than providing information.

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Answered on 8/24/09, 6:33 pm


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