burglary

[DonnaLa]

My friends son was arrested for burglary. He and his friends went into another friends house and took instruments and video games. The 18 year old of the group then took these things to a pawn shop and sold them, that's how they were arrested. What kind of punishment could they be facing. Do you have any advice that might help these boys so they don't have a felony charge on their record for doing something so stupid.

[michael]

Punishment for burglary varies from state to state. In most instances I have found that the DA will work with the family so as not to ruin a child's life over what might be a relatively minor incident. I would have an attorney attempt to negotiate something with the DA. What is the disposition of the victim's family?

[DonnaLa]

Thank you for answering, the family has a lawyer and they are going to plead not guilty so they can see the evidence and try to negotiate. The boys are already doing community service and have written a letter of apology. It turns out that my friend works with the owner of the house. Hopefully things will work out well for the boys.

[michael]

Originally posted by DonnaLa:
Thank you for answering, the family has a lawyer and they are going to plead not guilty so they can see the evidence and try to negotiate. The boys are already doing community service and have written a letter of apology. It turns out that my friend works with the owner of the house. Hopefully things will work out well for the boys. Pleading not guilty might not be the best thing if they are dead in the water. Sometimes the longer it takes and where the more likely it seems they will be convicted, the deal might not be as good. However, their lawyer is far more aware of the facts and better equipped to make such a decision and likely knows the proper manner to proceed.

[DonnaLa]

I hope the lawyer knows best. They are trusting his advise. Thank you.