According to a study recent article in the medical journal Pediatrics, approximately one out of every three 23 year-olds have been arrested or taken into police custody at least once for a non-traffic offense. Researchers analyzed data from the years 1997 to 2008 and determined that between 25% and 41% of 23 year-olds have had this type of contact with the police. This is a rise from the figure of 22% that was calculated in 1965.
Criminal justice system has clearly become more aggressive
Criminologists offer many reasons for the increase in the arrest rate of American youth including arrests in Michigan. “The criminal justice system has clearly become more aggressive in dealing with offenders (particularly those who commit drug offenses and violent crimes) since the 1960’s,” write the study’s authors. The study was published in Pediatrics in hopes that pediatricians can influence their patients to stay out of trouble.
As criminal defense attorneys, we see first-hand that teenagers and young adults sometimes get tangled up in Michigan’s criminal justice system. Unfortunately, those are the same people who may not know how urgent it is to hire a good defense lawyer. A skilled attorney can help defend those people charged in a juvenile delinquency action and those charged as adults.
If you or someone you know has been or will be charged with a Michigan or federal crime, contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer today.