How is Juvenile Court Different from Criminal Court in Houston?

How is Juvenile Court Different from Criminal Court?

When children between 10 and 17 years of age are accused of committing a felony offense or a Class A or B misdemeanor, their cases are handled in the Juvenile District Courts in Harris County (in other counties, it would be county courts or juvenile district). Rather than criminal law cases, these cases are considered  civil law, although certain aspects and rules of criminal law are applicable to juvenile cases. Rather than being "found guilty", juveniles are instead "adjudicated to have engaged in delinquent conduct". Furthermore, rather than being released on "bond" like in criminal court, juveniles are either released or detained depending upon the circumstances and the ruling of the judge. Lastly, rather than being based on the offense itself, punishment for juveniles is based upon guidelines and levels.

To properly represent a juvenile, an attorney must be familiar with both the civil and criminal aspects.  Therefore, you should hire a Houston juvenile attorney who specializes in juvenile law. 

Houston Juvenile Lawyer James Sullivan is Board Certified in Juvenile Law since 2004. Of the 83,000 lawyers licensed in Texas, Sullivan is one of only 68 lawyers in Texas board certified in juvenile law.

James Sullivan has 30 years of experience in juvenile and criminal law and devotes a large percentage of his legal practice to representing juveniles.

If your child needs a Houston Juvenile Lawyer, call James Sullivan at (281) 546-6428 for a free consultation and case evaluation.

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HOUSTON, TEXAS & HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL LAWYERS

Serving Houston, Cypress, Sugar Land, Clear Lake, Pasadena, La Porte, Missouri City, Friendswood, Richmond, Hempstead, Humble, Tomball, Bellaire, Deer Park, Katy and other communities in Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Waller County.

Our Houston criminal lawyers defend clients charged with crimes in district courts and county criminal courts, including domestic violence (assault of a family member), drug possession or drug delivery, violent crimes, and juvenile delinquency.