What Are Common Types of Juvenile Offense Cases That Your Firm Handles?

In Travis County, there is a juvenile public defender and the juvenile public defender handles the vast majority of juvenile cases. There are a limited number of cases that hire a private attorney. I used to do court appointments in Travis County in circumstances where the juvenile public defender had some sort of conflict of interest.

The types of cases that get appointed to private attorneys who get appointments in juvenile cases are those cases that are serious and/or involve two or more co-defendants, such as in the instance of an organized criminal activity charge or other serious felony charges. If three juveniles were engaged in beating someone up and taking their wallet, only one of them would be able to be represented by the juvenile public defender.

In those instances where there is not a co-defendant or there isn’t a conflict, the juvenile public defender handles almost all juvenile cases. I do have a lot of faith in the juvenile public defender in Travis County. They know what they are doing; an experienced juvenile attorney is very different from a criminal attorney.

What Is The Age For Juvenile Court In Texas?

If a juvenile child is between the ages of 10 and 17, they can be charged with a juvenile offense. There are certain circumstances under which the defendant would be able to be certified as an adult if they are 15 or 16 and are charged with a capital offense. In the event that they were certified as an adult, then they would be treated as an adult and the case would be prosecuted in the adult system with all of the same criminal penalty ranges associated. In juvenile cases, there aren’t determinate sentences, typically. Even if they are certified as an adult, a juvenile cannot receive capital punishment or life without the possibility of a parole.

For more information on Handling Juvenile Offenses In Travis County, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (512) 478-9898 today.