The Court Division receives cases once the District Attorney’s Office files a petition or when a juvenile is detained in the detention center for a felony referral. It is the Court Officer’s job to gather information from the juvenile, parent/guardian, school, and any other collateral contacts who may be involved with the juvenile.
Information should include, but is not limited to, information as to who the child resides with, behavior at home, runaway history, and relationships with parents and those in the home; school grades, attendance, discipline referrals, extracurricular activities and any possible learning disabilities; medical or mental health diagnosis, hospitalizations, and medications; history of drug use to include types of drugs, when used, and drug test history; gang affiliation and/or membership; and parent employment information. This information, along with a list of the current and past referrals, is then compiled into a social history report and presented to the judge with a recommendation for adjudication that is in the best interest of the juvenile, the family, the victim, and the community.
Recommendations may include deferred prosecution, formal probation at home, placement at a residential facility, or commitment at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. On occasion, recommendations for the rehabilitation of a juvenile are also made for certification or determinate sentence to the adult system. Once a juvenile’s case is disposed of, the case will be transferred to the appropriate unit for supervision.
Court Division
Debera Myers, Division Director
122 Golfview Drive
Richmond, Texas 77469
281-633-7400
281-633-7344 FAX