Can a Greensboro criminal defense attorney explain who is considered a minor in North Carolina? Yes, we can! When most people think of the word “minor” they think of the age of eighteen. They are, in a sense, correct that generally the age of majority for most crimes is eighteen years old. This means that anyone seventeen years and younger are considered minors under the law for the purposes of most crimes. There are, however, some crimes that use the word “minor” that refer to a different age of majority. For more information on who is considered a minor for a specific crime, you should speak with a Greensboro criminal defense attorney today!
The general rule is that “minor” refers to anyone under the age of eighteen. Thus, if there is a crime that merely refers to “minor” but does not put a specific age, it’s assumed that under the age of eighteen is meant. However, there are certain crimes that say “minor” but specify a different age of majority. For example, the age of majority for soliciting a minor to participate in gang activity is sixteen years old even though the statute says “minor” multiple times. Sometimes the word “minor” is used to merely refer to a younger class of people. Other examples of this are some sex crimes, such as indecent liberties with a minor. Even though the crime itself has the word “minor” in it, the statute refers to the victim as being any child under the age of sixteen. Thus, even though the word “minor” defaults to mean anyone under the age of eighteen, if a statute specifies otherwise the age of majority for that crime will be different. For more information on who is considered a minor in certain offenses, contact a Greensboro criminal defense attorney today!
If you are unsure of what constitutes a minor in a specific crime, you should not hesitate to speak with a Greensboro criminal defense attorney to get the answers you need! The criminal defense attorneys at Garrett, Walker, Aycoth, and Olson know the requirements of the law and genuinely care about each case presented to them by their clients. Call today at 336-379-0539; we are here to help!