Juvenile Defense

At The Law Offices of James H. Horton, PC, we assist parents of children who have been accused of a criminal or delinquent act throughout Tarrant, Dallas, Wise, Collin, and Cooke Counties of Texas.  If your child has been charged with delinquent conduct, seek experienced legal counsel as soon as possible to ensure his or her rights are protected.  A juvenile criminal record can potentially have a serious impact on a child's life and future, making it difficult for him or her to be accepted to college, join the military, or obtain employment.  Through vigorous defense representation, we can work to help your child avoid these and other consequences.

Juvenile Offenses Carry Serious Punishments

Texas has adopted the Progressive Sanctions Model, which assigns punishment levels depending on the severity of the offense, whether your child has any past delinquent activity, any special needs he or she might have, and whether past interventions have been successful.  Under the Progressive Sanctions Model, punishments vary widely depending on the level in which the criminal activity falls.  Sanction Level One includes court-ordered counseling and asking you to closely monitor your child's behavior, while Sanction Level Seven includes detention for a minimum of 12 months followed by parole for a minimum of 12 months, and either restitution to the victim of the conduct or community service appropriate to the harm caused. 

Understanding the Juvenile Justice System

Under the Texas Family Code, a "child" is someone between ten and seventeen years of age.  Juvenile cases involve both civil and criminal aspects.  Unlike adult criminal cases, the Texas juvenile courts treat juvenile offenders as people who need rehabilitation, not criminal punishment.  Therefore, juveniles are not "convicted" of a crime, but instead are found to have engaged in delinquent conduct.

Additionally, when a child has been arrested, he or she is not released on bail or bond.  Your child will either be detained or released into your custody.  In deciding whether to detain or release the child, the court considers several factors; drawing on our wealth of experience with this system, we can help ensure that your child has the best chance of being released into your custody. 

Contact Us

If your child has been charged with a crime or delinquent activity, hire a defense attorney who knows how to handle these delicate cases.  In addition to our experience successfully defending juvenile delinquency charges, we are committed to providing thorough and honest representation so that you can make informed choices about your child's defense.  We can also assist you with having juvenile records sealed.  Contact The Law Offices of James H. Horton, PC today so that we can help you preserve your child's rights.