What Are the Legal Consequences of Being Charged with Carjacking Involving a Minor? Find Out

Penalties for carjacking are usually severe when someone was in the vehicle during the incident. The situation might even worsen when one of the passengers was a minor. In this case, you might face additional charges. Additionally, your offense might make the judge hand you a lengthy jail sentence or slap you with a huge fine. However, your punishment will depend on your crime's severity and state laws. Therefore, consult an attorney to learn the punishment you might get when facing criminal charges for carjacking with a child in the car. Consequences may include the following.

You Might Face Aggravated Kidnapping Charges  

One of the possible consequences of hijacking a vehicle with a child passenger is that you might face aggravated kidnapping charges. Each state uses different laws, and your punishment will depend on the laws you violated during the kidnapping incident. For instance, you might get a severe sentence if you moved the child from the location of the crime. Threatening the minor could also get you into more trouble, increasing your punishment if convicted. The best way to avoid facing a harsh judgment is by hiring a legal advisor to defend you in court. They will raise different defenses to convince the judge not to offer you a severe punishment.

You Might Face a Separate Case

The prosecuting attorney might file a separate case against you if you took someone along during the kidnapping incident. This might happen when charges don't rely on each other. For instance, the prosecutor may not have evidence proving that you took the child while entering the car. In this case, you must answer to carjacking and kidnapping as separate charges.

An additional charge could make it challenging to get a lenient judgment. However, that might be possible if you enlist the services of a criminal defense lawyer. They will create defense strategies to raise in court when arguing your case. For example, your attorney will challenge the evidence for your carjacking and kidnapping charges to prove that your crime is not as severe as the police had reported.

When you receive charges for kidnapping because of a carjacking crime, you will benefit greatly by hiring a criminal defense attorney. They will assess your case and build a defense strategy to refute the charges the prosecutor presents against you. Their intervention might convince the judge to reduce your sentence to a few years or a lower fine.


Share