Los Angeles County Criminal Lawyer Blog

The Ventura County Star recently reported about a 15-year-old who was arrested and charged with stealing a vehicle.

A Ventura Juvenile Criminal Defense Attorney is critical when dealing with allegations of auto theft. We continue to report on enforcement activity aimed at juvenile crime in general and the rash of car thefts in particular. Auto theft charges in Ventura, as well as cases involving juvenile crime, require the touch of an experienced attorney.

In this case, the newspaper reports, officers were called to a disturbance in the 200 block of West Vince Street and spotted a vehicle driving without its headlights on. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, the driver refused and tried to drive away. After allegedly eluding police, the driver lost control and crashed into a car rounding a turn.

The 15-year-old driver wasn't injured, but he was arrested on suspicion of theft of a vehicle, evading police and on outstanding warrants for his arrest.

As Fox News reported this summer, California leads the nation in metropolitan areas with the highest rate of vehicle theft in 2010. According to the news story, the West Coast dominates the top 10 list, with eight of the cities with the highest rates from California and the other two from Washington State:

1. Fresno, Calif.


2. Modesto, Calif.


3. Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.


4. Spokane, Wash.


5. Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif.


6. Sacramento/Arden-Arcade/Roseville, Calif.


7. Stockton, Calif.


8. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.


9. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, Calif.


10. Yakima, Wash.

For this reason, there are other California cities where auto thefts have become common and some have decided to commit the crime as a money-making scheme. This has become especially attractive to juveniles.

But while some have committed the crime for the excitement or the potential monetary gains, they don't take into consideration the possible punishments. Juveniles have a lot on the line when they commit a crime. Being sent into the criminal justice system rather than being tried as a juvenile means the difference between prison sentences and boot camps.

Their record can be hidden as a juvenile, but is exposed for the world as an adult. A conviction can lead to disqualification from scholarships, college, military service and jobs. And for all these reasons and more, hiring an experienced Ventura Criminal Defense Lawyer who will fight to protect the defendant's rights and explore every avenue of defense is critical.

Seeking to have a teenager prosecuted in the juvenile justice system is the first job of a good attorney. But it doesn't stop there. Seeking to suppress key evidence and fight off the word of witnesses, police and physical evidence are all important elements to a strong defense. Whether charged as a juvenile or adult, auto crimes can have severe consequences, including prison time, so they must be taken seriously.