If your teen has been involved in a gang related crime and they have admitted that they want to remove themselves from the gang, you need to meet with a criminal lawyer right away. With gang fights and gang crime on the rise in Ottawa and other large Canadian cities, it’s best to get your teen out if possible before they get into more trouble. Here are some things you can ideally work out with the lawyer and local authorities.
Plea Deal for the Crime
One of the first priorities should be dealing with the criminal charges that your teen faces. If your teen is guilty and you don’t think they can fight the charges, and you want to speed up the conviction and sentencing process, have your lawyer work quickly to negotiate a plea deal.
This may require your teen to give up the names of other people in the gang, to provide gang related information, and to admit to their crimes. Once the deal is made, you have to worry about your teen’s protection.
Protection and Relocation Program
If your teen has to serve time you want them to do it in a facility far away from their old gang members. If they aren’t serving time, relocating your teen and having them in a program where their identity is protected may also be important. The gang members may want to harm or kill them because your teen broke the allegiance that they had, or because they are expected to be in the gang for a lifetime after they are initiated.
Talk with your lawyer about what may be best for your teen under the circumstances. You may have to send your teen to a boarding school, an out of the country school, or another province to keep them safe.
A criminal lawyer is the best professional to help with these circumstances because you’ll have to deal with your teen’s criminal issues, charges and legal problems before you can work out any deals with the police or the internal gang unit in your area. Once the lawyer has managed to get your teen’s criminal behavior and punishment under control, figuring out how to protect them and keep them safe will be the next step. Find a lawyer that has experience and understands the situation that you’re trying to navigate through with your teen, so your teen doesn’t retreat to gang life again. The Aswani K. Datt blog has more resources available if you would like to learn more information.