Arizona drug laws for a minor?

Question

My mom told me that if i ever got caught with pot that i would go straight to jail, even as a minor, and that she learned about this during jury duty. how can this be true? don't tons of kids get caught with pot all the time? is she just jerking me around or what? what are the laws for a minor?

Answer 1

She's right, sort of.  Anytime a juvenile is arrested for committing a crime, they are taken to the local juvenile facility, where they will be locked up pending seeing a magistrate, being advised of their rights and a determination is made as to whether or not the child will be released to their parents or held in custody pending the resolution of the case.  So, if you get caught with pot, you'll be taken to juvenile detention, see a judge, and a probation officer to see what type of pre-trial supervision will be available if the judge grants release.  They will call your parents to see if you can be released to them and if your parents say that you are out of control, then you will stay in juvenile until you go to court, which could be for several weeks.  Now sometimes, a juvenile is released within hours after arrest.  A juvenile is never taken to "the jail," but a juvenile is taken to a juvenile holding facility, which is just like jail, except they have school there too.