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The Texas Juvenile Justice system is an embarrassment for three related reasons.
First, the system comes down way too hard on most kids who get in normal kids' trouble. If you are more than 30 years old, you probably did things as a teenager that, if you did them today, would land you in the juvenile "justice" system.
Second, many parents use the system to discipline their kids. That is, they hand over responsibility for raising their kids to the state.
Third, many of the lawyers practicing in juvenile court aren't fighting for their clients.
The three reasons are intertwined. Juvenile law is harsher and parents use the system to discipline their kids because society has become afraid of its children. Many lawyers don't fight for their clients (the kids) because they are hired by the parents who are scared of their kids or by the courts and are trying to keep those folks happy. I've seen lawyers pushing for boot camp (instead of a lesser sanction) for their clients even though boot camp was not merited by the facts because their clients' parents wanted it.
According to the law, juvenile cases are "quasi-criminal" or almost criminal. If you think a quasi-defense lawyer is good enough for your kid, the juvenile courtrooms are infested with them. Don't call us.
If, however, you think your child's first brush with the law should be treated as a serious matter, and if you want your child to have every procedural safeguard provided by the law, give us a call. We treat every juvenile case as though it will affect our client's reputation and his future. Because it will.
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