Juvenile Consent Docket Calendar | Michigan Juvenile Crime Lawyers

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When juveniles commit adult crimes, they can be handled many ways. Often, they are handled within the family, or at school. Sometimes though, they are handled through the criminal justice system.

The criminal justice system also has several tracks by which juvenile offenders can be handled. A juvenile may be waived into adult court either by committing any of several enumerated crimes, or on the motion of the prosecutor. Alternatively, these matters can be handled on the consent docket.

The consent docket is available for misdemeanor or non-violent crimes, or juveniles for whom this is a first offense. Placement on the consent docket means that no formal plea will be entered. The juvenile will be placed on essentially a probation period whereby he or she must complete the terms of the court, which may include counseling, community service, and/or restitution. If the terms of this trial period are fulfilled, the juvenile will avoid having any public record at all. Even fingerprint records may be recalled. Furthermore, all records will be destroyed when the individual reaches the age of 17.

The advantages of placement of a juvenile individual on the consent docket are numerous. First, the defendant will avoid more harsh criminal penalties and consequences available in adult court. Juvenile courts were created with the express purpose of rehabilitation, as opposed to the punitive qualities of other courts. Furthermore, the consent docket protects the defendant’s clean record. In a traditional case, the defendant would have a record of the crime forever unless they were able to be sentenced pursuant to another diversion program or are able to eventually obtain an expungment. Juveniles are not eligible for one of the best diversion programs, Holmes Youthful Trainee Act Status. Furthermore, a person can only get one expungment per lifetime. Getting an expungment is expensive and they can be difficult to obtain as an expungment is not as a matter of right, it is granted at the court’s discretion. It is much easier and more cost effective to get your juvenile case adjudicated on the consent docket. An experienced attorney can work to get your juvenile case adjudicated on the consent docket and avoid a lifetime of negative consequences.