You already know this is a tough situation. On these facts, it appears her her lawyer was ineffective. IF your granddaughter agrees, you might consult another lawyer and seek to withdraw her plea. Of course you will alienate her mother and stepfather even more by doing so and it might be said that they are the only ones who can make the decision for her about whether to move to withdraw her plea or not. If she entered her plea in juvenile court, the record will not be available to the public anyway. And please remember that even much loved children sometimes lie for numerous reasons. Consult a criminal lawyer in your locality. He or she may have some additional ideas based on local practices in your county. Good Luck.
Answered on Jun 06th, 2016 at 6:47 PM