Juvenile Defense

 
We Can Get Confessions Thrown Out

If your child made a false confession while under duress, their case might seem hopeless. The truth is, there are various avenues for having such confessions thrown out entirely. 

The Texas Family Code sets forth extremely specific requirements that must be met by law enforcement when obtaining confessions from a juvenile. Before any confession, a child must be brought without delay to a juvenile processing office. If your child was brought somewhere else first, or made to wait an excessive period, this could have impacted their confession. 

Furthermore, before any written confession a child must be made aware that they have the right to terminate their interview with law enforcement at any time. If these and other provisions are violated, our attorneys can possibly void any confession.

 

 
We Can Explore Deferred Prosecution

There are some situations where a minor defendant has little to no defense for the crime they committed. That being said, if your child is not a habitual offender and the offense they are charged with is not especially egregious, our attorneys may be able to negotiate with the juvenile court's officers to engage in deferred prosecution. 

Deferred prosecution is an alternative to formal adjudication that allows a minor to engage in a probationary period that is typically six months long. During this period, the child has to complete community service as well as other court-mandated programs such as counseling. If the child completes all aspects, their case can be totally resolved without the creation of any criminal record.