How To Understand The Critical Florida Juvenile Justice System
Video Transcript
Florida’s juvenile justice system routes most youth ages 5–17 through a structured process—intake, diversion or detention, adjudication, and probation or placement—focused on rehabilitation rather than adult punishment. The Department of Juvenile Justice and the juvenile court work together to assess risk, protect public safety, and provide services tailored to a child’s needs. This article explains the key agencies, common charges, court steps, detention rules, and how families can protect a child’s rights.
Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media
“How do you approach juvenile crime different from eighteen plus?”
Regina Tsombanakis– Juvenile Criminal Defense Attorney – Fort Lauderdale, FL
“First of all, you’re dealing with a, not a completely matured formed human being. That’s them. You’ve got to remember. So, you can’t approach it like you approach a 25-year-old that’s got cocaine. It’s different. A lot of the times, these kids don’t know how express themselves. A lot of the times, these kids are doing this because of the lack of parental guidance, or parental love, role model, or anywhere that they could be that provides them a safe space. A lot of them are very, very skeptical, especially if they’ve been in the foster care system about… if you’re really going to help them, or you’re just passing them along. And takes a little bit to get through to them. Because teenagers think they know everything.”
Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media
“So true, so true.”
Regina Tsombanakis– Juvenile Criminal Defense Attorney – Fort Lauderdale, FL
“It takes a lot more patience… patience to get them to see, hey, this isn’t you? You want this life because it’s not good. So much in the world, and you’re going to be sitting in a jail cell. Let’s think about that. So, you’ve got to get past their armor and their teenage knowledge of everything that’s important. And ow uncool you are, because you’re an adult lawyer talking to them.
But you just got to keep at it. And you’ve got to also… they’ve got to know there’re consequences. Because kids without consequences go straight to the adult system when they’re 17.”