Your nephew is lucky to have you on his side given his upbringing.  But I think that you may need to take the extra step here to really help him.  By that I mean that you should petition the courts for guardianship - he is still a minor which is a plus in all respects given his present criminal circumstances - and then you can explore the programs available for him with his defense attorney.  You have not indicated if in fact he has a underlying drug or alcohol problem himself.  If he does getting him in to a program before his next court appearance - i.e., voluntarily - will help him with the Judge.  I would contact the department of social services here as well and maybe he can be taken from his home and placed with you as well which would be a plus for him.  They would also be able to tell you about any programs that fit his needs. Good luck to you.