ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, CHARLES, ST. MARY’S & PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIES.
Juvenile Assault & Fighting Defense | Haskell & Dyer
A Schoolyard Fight Should Not Turn Into a Charge That Follows Your Child.
A scuffle in the hallway or a fight after school can bring a juvenile assault charge. We look at what really happened, including whether your child was defending themselves, and work to keep one moment from shaping their future.
For Parents
Who got charged is often just who the adult saw last.
When two kids fight, the one who gets charged is frequently just the one a teacher or officer noticed, or the one still standing. Being charged does not mean your child started it, and it does not erase their right to defend themselves. We make sure the full story gets told.
The Core Issue
Two Sides to Every Fight
A mutual scuffle is not a one-sided attack, and the juvenile system has room to treat it as the learning moment it usually is.
Your Child's Right
Self Defense
A young person has the right to protect themselves when threatened. If your child was defending themselves, that is not a crime, it is a defense, and we build the case to show it.
The Opportunity
Redirection, Not a Record
The juvenile system is built to guide kids, not brand them. For a fight, that often means diversion, counseling, or dismissal, ending the case without a lasting record.
What Decides the Case
The Details Behind the Fight
A fast, chaotic moment leaves a lot out of the report. These are the facts that often change the outcome.
Who started it
Whether your child was threatened first
What witnesses actually saw
Hallway or phone video
Whether your child could walk away
Injuries on both sides
The history between the kids
How the school reported it
What's at Stake
A Fight Can Bring More Than One Problem
An assault charge can run alongside school discipline, and both need attention.
Record
A juvenile assault charge that can affect the future
School
Suspension or expulsion alongside the court case
Future
Questions on college and job applications later
Reputation
A label that can stick with a young person
How We Defend a Juvenile Assault or Fighting Case
We tell your child's side and protect their record, while keeping an eye on the school side too.
We Build Self Defense
Where your child acted to protect themselves, we develop that fully, with witnesses and the sequence of events.
We Find the Video
Hallways and phones capture more than the report. We track down footage that shows what really happened.
We Pursue Diversion
For a fight, we push for diversion or informal handling that resolves the case without a formal record.
We Watch the School Side
We help you understand the discipline process so the court case and the school case do not blindside each other.
Common Questions
Juvenile Assault & Fighting, Answered
My child was defending themselves. Why were they charged?
Because adults often charge whoever they noticed, whoever is still standing, or whoever the other side blames. Being charged is not proof your child started it. Self-defense is a real defense, and we build the case to show your child was protecting themselves.
Both kids were fighting. Can my child still avoid a record?
Often, yes. Even in a mutual fight, the State has to prove your child unlawfully assaulted the other person, and the juvenile system favors redirection. Diversion, counseling, or dismissal can frequently resolve a fight without a lasting record.
There's a video of the fight. Will it help or hurt?
It depends on what it shows, but footage often helps more than people expect. It can show who started it, whether your child was cornered, and how things really unfolded. We work fast to get it before it disappears.
The school is also disciplining my child. Is that separate from court?
Yes. School discipline like suspension or expulsion runs on its own track, separate from the juvenile court case. Both matter, and we help you handle the court side while understanding how the school process works alongside it.
Should my child explain their side to the school or police?
Not before talking to a lawyer. Kids often try to explain and end up making the case worse. The safest step is to stay quiet, avoid statements, and call us so we can protect your child and tell their side the right way.
Is Your Child Facing an Assault Charge After a Fight? Let's Tell Their Side.
The report is one version. We make sure the full story gets heard, including your child's right to defend themselves. Tell us what happened and get an honest read on the options. The first conversation is free.
Need us after hours? Call our 24/7 line: 240-687-0179
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC
Fax: 301-627-5848
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