Sometimes young people make mistakes. They shouldn’t have to pay for them for the rest of their lives.
Welcome back. Here on The Kronzek Firm’s criminal law blog we’ve been talking about Michigan’s Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (often called the HYTA), and how it could help young people keep their criminal record clean after a mistake. Not sure what we mean by that? Take a moment to get caught up, and then we’re going to dive right back into HYTA with a few more questions and answers that we think you’ll find helpful.
Why would the HYTA be a better choice for you?
There are lots of reasons why the HYTA could be beneficial for a young person with a promising future, but let’s start with the most important one – your criminal record. Having a criminal conviction on your record can wreak havoc with your life plans. For example, having a criminal record:
- Makes it hard to get into a good university, which can affect your future career options,
- Makes it extremely difficult to get a good job,
- Can give you a “reputation” with law enforcement, so that any encounter with police in the future is tainted by the fact that you’re already viewed as a criminal,
- Can affect your standing in the community, and ruin relationships – both current ones and future relationships (when those people find out about your record!).
What’s the difference between a delayed and a deferred sentence?
For many young people, making a single mistake in life, or letting one poor impulse guide their choices, even just for a moment, means a criminal record will haunt them for the rest of their lives. However HYTA sentencing in Michigan allows for a “deferred judgment,” rather than a “delayed sentence” which makes a big difference!
Not sure what the difference is? It’s simple – a “delayed sentence” is reported to the Michigan State Police as a criminal conviction, and the court record (which is your criminal history) is made public. In a HYTA sentence, a “deferred judgment” is NOT reported as a conviction, the public record is sealed, (unless you don’t complete probation successfully) and the case is dismissed. Which means the general public will not know about it in the future. Said in a simple way, there is no public record any conviction because there is in fact, no conviction.
All it takes is one wrong choice to ruin someone’s future!
Please join The Kronzek Firm next time for more information on the HYTA here in Michigan. Until then though, if you or a loved one have make a mistake that might cost you your future, call Michigan’s best criminal defense attorneys at 1 866 7NoJail. We can be reached 24 / 7 at our main office. We are available for crisis intervention and we often do jail visits. Call 1 866-766-5245.