No matter the time, we're here for you. Reach out 24/7!2900 Woodridge Drive, Suite 210, Houston, TX 77087
Home/Practice Areas/Criminal Defense/Juvenile matters
The juvenile system is supposed to be about rehabilitation. It still produces records, detention and, in serious cases, transfer to adult court.
Criminal Defense
Texas handles most offences by children aged ten to sixteen in a separate juvenile system, with its own vocabulary — petitions rather than indictments, adjudication rather than conviction, disposition rather than sentencing. The purpose is rehabilitative, and outcomes range from informal supervision through probation to commitment. It is still a court proceeding with lasting consequences, and children do not get a better result by explaining themselves to a detective without a lawyer.
For certain serious felony allegations, the State can seek to transfer a teenager to adult criminal court. Those hearings involve psychological evaluation, the child's background and the sophistication of the alleged offence, and they are among the most consequential proceedings in the system. They are also defensible, with preparation and expert input.
Juvenile records are more protected than adult ones, but they are not invisible: they can affect school placement, military enlistment, some licensing and immigration matters. Sealing is available in many circumstances, and knowing what will be sealable later should shape the decisions made now.
Assault and school fights, theft and shoplifting, vandalism and criminal mischief, drug and alcohol offences, weapons on campus, sexting and online conduct cases, truancy and status offences, and serious felony allegations including certification proceedings. We also help families deal with school discipline and expulsion running in parallel, which often moves faster than the court case.
Criminal matters are quoted as a flat fee for a defined stage of the case, so you know what representation costs before you commit to it. Payment plans are available. What the fee buys is a lawyer who appears at your settings, reads the file rather than skimming it, and tells you honestly which parts of the State's case are weak and which are not.
No. It has its own vocabulary and its own purpose, focused on rehabilitation — but it is still a court proceeding with lasting consequences.
No. Juvenile statements carry specific statutory protections in Texas, and you can decline until counsel is present.
Not without advice. School interviews, including with a resource officer, can produce statements that end up in the court case.
For certain serious felony allegations, the State can seek transfer to adult court. Those hearings are among the most consequential in the system and they are defensible.
Juvenile records are better protected than adult ones and are frequently sealable, but they are not invisible. Planning for sealing should shape the decisions made now.
It is a separate process with its own hearings, and it usually moves faster. What is said in one affects the other, so they should be handled together.
Detention and conditions are addressed and the case is set for further hearings. Having counsel from that first appearance changes what options remain open.
Sometimes, through informal supervision or diversion — and that decision is made by people whose job is not to protect your child. It is worth advocating for.
School fights and assault allegations, theft, vandalism, drug and alcohol offences, weapons on campus, online conduct cases, and serious felony matters.
Taking the child in to clear things up before anyone has read the allegation, and consenting to searches of phones or rooms when consent was not required.
Free Consultation
Available 24/7 · Office hours Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
