punishment and sentencing for juvenile charged with grand theft in state of maryland

Grand theft is a felony when it is charged against an adult. Hence the possiblity that a child may be put in a detention facility even on a first offense rise significantly.

As for a lawyer, the child should absolutely have legal counsel. His freedom is at stake as is his record and future. A lawyer can be invaluable to a child. If you are able to help the child get a lawyer of his chosing, that is even more advantageous as the two can bond and the child gets a role model and an advisor. The right lawyer for a child can change that child's life.

I hope you will invest in this kid and get him a good lawyer. There are many to chose from right here on AVVO.com

Good luck

Your child should definitely get a lawyer. If you can not afford one, apply to the Office of the Public Defender. In Maryland, the court procedures are different for juveniles than they are for adults. Your child could have a trial (called an adjudicatory hearing, in juvenile court) before a judge, but not a jury trial, as he could have in adult court. If he were to be found "involved," the juvenile equivalent of guilty, the court would order a pre-disposition investigation report, in which an agent from the Department of Juvenile Services would make a recommendation as to his disposition (the juvenile version of a sentencing hearing). The court would look at numerous criteria, including the offense, the child's home situation, his past history of behavior in the community, his amenability to treatment, his school history, and his juvenile record, in making a determination as to where to place your child. The court may place him on probation, which would be indefinite, until his agent determines it is no longer necessary, or at the very latest, until his 21st birthday. The court may decide to place him in a residential treatment facility or other rehabilitation program. The durations of such programs vary but he could not remain in the juvenile system past his 21st birthday. He would not be placed in a detention center unless he is charged as an adult and convicted. For this to happen, the state would have to move to waive his case to adult court, which they typically do not do in theft cases, so most likely your child will be tried as a juvenile. The court may order restitution up to $10,000 if your child is found involved.