An 18-year-old man and an 11-year-old girl from Baltimore have been charged with robbing a man and stealing his car. The case is complicated by the female suspect (who is reportedly related to the adult suspect) being underage.
The incident allegedly occurred in Parkville, when two people walked up to a third person sitting in a parked car and asked directions. Then, they demanded money and the keys to the victim’s vehicle. The suspects were arrested after a brief chase on foot after the car was abandoned. The adult suspect is being held while the child was released to the custody of a guardian while awaiting pretrial actions.
People suspected of criminal activities have certain rights that have to be respected, regardless of the allegations against them. Those rights are designed to make the justice system a little fairer for everyone — which means that not everyone arrested for a crime is treated alike.
Juvenile suspects are accorded different judicial treatment than adults, and are often afforded somewhat limited accountability for their bad behavior. Suspects below the age of 18 may expect leniency in sentencing after a case has been decided as well as a few other privileges before a court has concluded their case — although that’s not always the case. There are some instances where juvenile suspects are ultimately treated (and tried) as adults.
People who need help protecting suspects facing criminal charges can always call on the services of an attorney. Individual defendants and their families can engage legal representation at any time in the process of dealing with the criminal justice system.