Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in California

Re: 17 yr old son being charged with count 1 Rape

The stakes are very high indeed and yes, he might have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. You need to hire a good private lawyer for him if you can. Public defenders, in my opinion, can often be too quick to sell defendants on plea bargains that they later regret. You haven't given enough facts for me, or some other Internet bulletin-board lawyer, to give you an educated guess on whether it is worth rolling the dice and going to trial. Remember that a verdict after a trial can be appealed, a guilty plea is forever.