A Juvenile Defender’s Guide to Conquering Collateral Consequences

Including arrests, dismissed petitions, and adjudications – can create long-term barriers to a young person’s employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Juvenile defenders can break down these barriers by discussing these consequences with their clients, mitigating potential harms, and building pathways to success. Understanding collateral consequences is critical to every plea or diversion negotiation, could impact the theory of defense at all levels of a case, and will inform disposition, post-disposition, and reentry advocacy. Because collateral consequences vary by state, it is important to stay abreast of the specific barriers created by juvenile court involvement where you practice.