If your child’s life and freedom is at stake, it is crucial to hire an effective lawyer to defend your child’s case.  Juvenile law differs from adult law.  There is no right to trial by a jury and no right to bail.  Therefore, the attorney you hire can make all the difference regarding whether or not your child will be released.  Ms. Dodson has experienced a lot of success with juvenile judges and juvenile district attorneys.

If your child is detained, the first court date will be a detention hearing.  At this hearing, the judge will weigh factors to determine whether or not your child needs to be detained prior to adjudication of the matter.  It is necessary to have a good attorney present to argue why detention is not necessary in your child’s case.  Factors the judge will consider is if your child is a threat to public safety, if your child is a flight risk, if your child has violated prior court orders and if your child needs to be detained for his or her own safety.  Ms. Dodson has been very successful at getting children released at their detention hearings.

In some cases, the district attorney will file a petition requesting the court to send the matter to adult court.  This is called a 707 Fitness hearing.  Ms. Dodson files oppositions to the district attorney’s motion and works with experts to keep your child’s case in juvenile court.  This is because these cases are considered serious and will usually result in a state prison sentence in adult court.  Crimes that may be sent to adult court include murder, attempted murder, carjacking, robbery, gang crimes, and any crime that results in serious bodily injury and home invasion.

If your child has been convicted, it is important to get the record sealed.  If you do not do this, it will not happen automatically.  Therefore, if your child has a conviction on his or her record, it is important to get that record sealed.  Ms. Dodson has filed several successful petitions to seal the records of her clients.

Deferred Entry of Judgment is sometimes available for juvenile offenders.  This is often a favorable outcome to a juvenile case.  It offers your child a chance to have his or her record sealed and destroyed upon successful completion of probation.  Ms. Dodson has managed to obtain the deferred entry of judgment for her clients related to a variety of criminal charges.

Recent Victories

Inglewood– Client’s father hired Ms. Dodson after his child had been charged with several violations of his child’s probation.  Client’s father pointed out to Ms. Dodson that most of his child’s problems stemmed from the lack of discipline and structure that existed in his ex-wife’s home.  He wanted to have his son in his home.  Ms. Dodson advised him that juvenile court was not the forum for changing custody, but told him she would do her best.  In court, the judge informed Ms. Dodson that her client had too many violations and was going to be placed in custody.  He also had a new accuser, his teacher had written the court a letter regarding a battery that her client had committed on him.  Ms. Dodson argued that her client had no structure in his mother’s home and would do much better if placed with his father.  The court stated that it would not entertain family law motions.  Ms. Dodson, however, continued to argue for her client’s freedom.  She also presented the court with evidence regarding the misconduct of her client’s teacher.  At the end of the hearing, Ms. Dodson’s client was ordered to live with his father and was given another chance on probation.  Ms. Dodson’s client’s teacher was eventually investigated and fired from his position as teacher at the school.

Lancaster– Ms. Dodson’s client was charged with Battery on a Police Officer.  Ms. Dodson argued for her client’s release at his detention hearing.  He was released to his parents that day and allowed to participate in the DEJ (Deferred Entry of Judgment) program and received no criminal record from the case. 

Sylmar– Ms. Dodson’s client was charged with stealing a wallet and a laptop.  Ms. Dodson managed to get her client admitted to the Deferred Entry of Judgment program and no criminal record resulted from the case.

Sylmar– Ms. Dodson’s client was charged with Possession of Marijuana for Sale.  He received DEJ and no criminal record from this case.