Back to School, Back to Trouble: How Criminal Charges Can Affect Both Students and Parents

The school year brings an increase in school-based juvenile offenses like drug possession on campuses, fights, and underage drinking. These cases are not always just a problem for the minors facing charges. They can create legal risks and responsibilities that extend to parents and guardians as well.

When Student Charges Spill Over Onto Parents

Underage Drinking, Marijuana Use, and Parties

Some parents think they’re keeping their kids safe by allowing alcohol or marijuana use in the house. The rationale is usually: “I’d rather you drink/smoke weed here than out driving around with your friends.”

Arizona law takes a hard line on any underage drinking or marijuana use. Parents who knowingly provide alcohol or weed to their children, or allow other minors to drink or use drugs in their home, can face criminal charges. If a teen later leaves and gets into an accident, the parent may also be exposed to civil liability.

Drugs and Controlled Substances

Parents can also face charges if their children gain access to marijuana, prescription medications, or other drugs from the household. Even if marijuana is legal for adults, it’s still illegal for minors. If a parent leaves their supply accessible and their child uses it or takes it to school to sell to other students, the parent could be charged for furnishing drugs to a minor.

Weapons Access

Firearms in the home create another layer of risk. If a child brings a weapon to school or uses it in a fight, prosecutors often look at how the gun was stored. An unsecured weapon can lead to charges against the parent for negligent storage, and in some cases criminal charges or civil lawsuits for any resulting harm.

Theft and Property Crimes

Parents can also face consequences if they knowingly ignore or conceal theft. For example, in a situation where a teenager steals a $200 handbag from a store, and the parent discovers it later. Wanting to protect their child, the parent keeps quiet instead of reporting it or returning the item.

If police later identify the teen from witness interviews or surveillance footage, and recover the stolen property, the parent could face charges for hindering prosecution or concealing evidence. What feels like “covering for your kid” can potentially expose you to criminal liability.

Failing to Follow Through on Legal Obligations

Even if parents don’t face any charges for the illegal actions of their child, they are often required to attend hearings, pay fines, or cover restitution for property damage. Ignoring these responsibilities can create legal consequences.

A parent might want to force their child to face the consequences by paying fines or restitution themselves, but that might not always be a feasible option. Missed court appearances, unpaid restitution, or failure to comply with court orders can escalate into contempt findings or other penalties.

Truancy and School-Related Offenses

Arizona law places responsibility on parents to ensure school attendance. Repeated unexcused absences or failure to comply with truancy orders can result in fines or misdemeanor charges against parents themselves. Even when the child is the one skipping class, courts expect parents to intervene.

Protecting Your Child’s Future After Charges

Parents play a central role in protecting their child’s rights and future once charges are on the table. Arizona law gives juveniles many of the same constitutional protections as adults, but kids rarely understand how to assert them. It’s often up to parents to know what to do to protect their child’s future.

Police Questioning Minors

In Arizona, police can question minors without a parent present. That surprises many families who assume they’ll get a phone call before questioning starts.

Courts often find that kids don’t fully grasp what “you have the right to remain silent” actually means. As a result, defense attorneys frequently challenge juvenile confessions as involuntary or unreliable. Parents should be aware that any statement their child makes without legal counsel could still end up in front of a judge.

That’s why it’s worth having an open conversation about personal rights at home. Obviously, parents don’t want to encourage illegal behavior, but every young person should know what to do if they’re questioned by police.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just make sure they know that they should comply with law enforcement but politely ask to speak with you and an attorney before saying anything further.

Right to an Attorney

Juveniles have the same right to an attorney as adults. Parents can and should invoke that right as soon as police contact them. Having a lawyer present from the beginning can prevent damaging statements, ensure evidence is challenged properly, and open the door to diversion or reduced charges.

Juvenile Records and Long-Term Impact

A common misconception is that juvenile records automatically disappear at 18. That is not how the system works in Arizona.

Some offenses may remain accessible unless an individual applies for destruction of juvenile records, which can only be pursued when all conditions are met.

Without legal action, a teenage mistake can affect college admissions, scholarships, or future employment. Parents should understand that the defense strategy chosen today can have ripple effects for years.

Early Legal Intervention

The earlier a defense attorney is brought in, the more options exist to protect both the child and the family. Alternatives like diversion programs or deferred prosecution agreements are often available only at the beginning of a case. Waiting until after a conviction limits the chances of keeping the child’s record clean and avoiding collateral consequences.

Protecting Your Family From Juvenile Charges in Phoenix Starts With Your Actions

The criminal justice system can pull entire families into the process. If your child is facing charges, you don’t have to navigate the system alone.



Michael Alarid III is an Arizona Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialist with extensive experience defending people accused of all types of crimes. Call (602) 818-3110 to get immediate guidance on protecting your child’s rights and safeguarding your family’s future.