Disposition in Juvenile Court

Dallas Texas Juvenile Attorney

There are a variety of ways a case can be disposed of in Juvenile Court. The first goal is to try and prevent the case from being filed to begin with. If a case is filed against your child, then a pre-adjudication program or other alternative to prosecution is very advantageous to prevent having to go to court or be formally sentenced.

PROGRESSIVE SANCTIONS and LEVELS OF SUPERVISION GUIDELINES
Effective January 1, 1996, sanctions to ensure that juvenile offenders face uniform and consistent consequences and punishment that corresponds to the seriousness of each offender's current offense were initiated. There are seven sanction levels with each one being more restrictive than the other. The level of 'sanctions' greatly depends on the initial charge and criminal history of your child. While these 'sanction levels' have attempted to make punishment for juveniles uniform throughout the state, there are vast differences in how juveniles are treated and prosecuted in Dallas, Collin and Denton counties. Please contact me immediately if your child has been contacted or arrested for any criminal offense.
LEVEL I
LEVEL I may require counseling for such offenses as runaway and truancy. Only in rare cases of repeat offenses do these charges usually end up in juvenile court or subject to a petition that a child has engaged in delinquent conduct in need of supervision.
LEVEL II
LEVEL II may result in placement of the Juvenile in a Deferred Prosecution Program or other pre-adjudication disposition which is an informal probation period of anywhere from three (3) to six (6) months.
Class A and B misdemeanor cases such as shoplifting, criminal mischief, possession of marijuana or harassment are examples of cases in the Level II category. Restitution may be required for Level II and all succeeding levels. After successful completion of these programs, the matter is dismissed and usually subject to being sealed from your child's record.
LEVEL III
LEVEL III cases include:
  1. misdemeanor offenses with weapons,
  2. state jail felonies such as burglary of a building, injury to a child, elderly or disabled individual, or
  3. third degree felony cases involving large amounts of marijuana or other drugs, criminal mischief or theft over $1500 or assault with serious injury.
It is sometimes possible to obtain alternatives to prosecution on these offenses as well. Usually these offenses may result in formal probation not less than six months, if you decide to plead guilty to these charges. By fighting these types of charges, they can usually be reduced to a lesser charge or resolved with a favorable plea bargain that keeps your child's record clean.
LEVEL IV
LEVEL IV includes second degree felony offenses such as dangerous drugs, arson, burglary of a residence, sexual assault, or aggravated assault. This level of supervision may require three (3) to twelve (12) months in an intensive and regimented probation program, followed by standard probation.
LEVEL V
LEVEL V supervision requires six (6) to twelve (12) months in a highly structured secure correctional facility, followed by standard probation. Offenses included in this level of supervision are arson with injury, serious injury to a child, aggravated robbery or aggravated sexual assault.
LEVEL VI
LEVEL VI includes robbery or other first degree felonies committed with the use of a weapon. This level of supervision provides for commitment to the Texas Youth Commission for nine (9) to twenty-four (24) months, a highly structured residential program.

LEVEL VII
LEVEL VII may result in the following:
  1. A determinate sentence to the Texas Youth Commission for one (1) to ten (10) years, with the possibility of transfer to the Adult Prison System, or
  2. A Court or Jury may impose determinate sentence probation for up to ten (10) years. (Determinate Sentence Probation may only be applied to offenses occurring on or after September 1, 1999) § HB 351
CERTIFICATION

Juveniles 15 years of age or older and, in some cases, those 14 years old who have committed serious crimes, and have been transferred by the Juvenile Court to be tried under the adult system. This process is called certification. It is generally advantageous to keep your child from being certified and tried as an adult.

J. Michael Price II, has devoted his entire career to juvenile and criminal defense and been recognized by Texas Monthly Magazine as a Texas Super Lawyer for 5 years running. As one of only 5 attorneys in the Dallas, Collin and Denton county area that are Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and in Criminal Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification, Mr. Price has uniquely distinguished himself among his colleagues for the quality of his work and his personal dedication to his clients, especially children.

We put more than a decade 15 years of proven success behind your child's case, and work to eventually seal juvenile records to make sure mistakes today don't become a burden as adult.

Call 214-651-1121 for a No Cost Consultation

Practicing exclusively in criminal and juvenile defense, and recognized by organizations including Martindale Hubbell, Texas Super Lawyers and Texas Monthly Magazine, we stand ready to provide reliable and effective representation for all juvenile crimes. Contact our office today or call us directly at 214-651-1121 to schedule an initial consultation.

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Serving communities in and around Dallas, Texas, including Denton, Highland Park, University Park, Allen, McKinney, Plano, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Southlake, Seagoville, Sherman, Denison, Pottsboro, Addison, Carrollton, Frisco and all clients in Dallas County, Collin County, Denton County and Grayson County.