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 County Courts in Fort Bend County (in Harris County, it would be in juvenile district courts). 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 Richmond, Texas juvenile attorney who specializes in juvenile law.
Richmond Juvenile Lawyer James Sullivan is Board Certified in Juvenile Law. Sullivan has 25 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 Fort Bend County Juvenile Lawyer, call James Sullivan at (281) 546-6428.
