My Child Was Arrested or Called In by the School. What Plata Schott Law Needs to Help
A juvenile case moves fast. Detention hearings happen within 24 hours of an arrest, and decisions made in the first days, including what your child says to the school or the police, shape everything that follows. We are the only Board Certified Juvenile Law specialists in private practice in Jacksonville, and this is what we need to help.
What juvenile cases does Plata Schott Law handle?
Any delinquency case in Duval, Clay, St. Johns or Nassau County: arrests, civil citations, school-based referrals, detention hearings, petitions, diversion, adjudicatory hearings (trials), disposition, violations of probation, direct-file and transfer-to-adult-court fights, and sealing or expunging a juvenile record afterward. We also represent children questioned by school resource officers or administrators before any charge is filed. Both partners spent years in juvenile court before founding the firm. Learn more: juvenile defense.
What does the firm not handle?
Appeals from a finished case, dependency (DCF) cases unless they overlap with a delinquency charge, school discipline hearings that involve no police or court involvement, custody and family-law matters, and cases outside Northeast Florida. We do not handle post-conviction relief or standalone civil rights claims.
What do you need from me before the consultation?
Every piece of paper your child was given: your child's Arrest and Booking Report, the Arrest Warrant, the Risk Assessment Instrument or FACE Sheet, the civil citation, the notice to appear, the detention order, the petition, any release conditions, and any letter from the Department of Juvenile Justice or the State Attorney.
The next court date and the division. It is on the paperwork; if you cannot find it, call the clerk, or the Department of Juvenile Justice, before you call us.
The school's side. Suspension or expulsion notices, the referral form, the school resource officer's name, and any statement your child was asked to write.
Your child's history: any prior arrests, citations or diversion programs, current probation, IEP or 504 plan, diagnoses that affect behavior, and the names of any counselors or therapists. This is confidential and it matters: it drives what the court can order and what alternatives we can propose.
Who has already talked. Whether your child gave a statement to police or school staff, whether you did, and whether anyone has contacted you from the State Attorney's office or DJJ.
And one instruction for right now: your child should not discuss the incident with anyone, including friends, teachers, police or on social media, until you have talked to a lawyer. You have the right to be present for any questioning. Use it.
How much does a juvenile consultation cost?
Criminal and juvenile consultations are between $25 and $500 depending on the case, and they are confidential. We will tell you in that meeting what we think the case is worth fighting for and what it will cost.
📞 Call (904) 619-5244 · Text Us · Confidential Case Review
Confidential consultation. We do not handle appeals, post-conviction relief, or standalone civil rights (Section 1983) claims.