Juvenile Cases
The Montgomery County Justice Court 4 has jurisdiction over Juveniles charged with Class C
misdemeanor offenses.
- All Juvenile defendants who were under the age of 17 at the time of receiving the citation must appear in open Court before the Judge for their initial appearance. Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 45.0215 (a)
- A parent or legal guardian is also required to attend the hearing with the defendant. Art. 45.015 (d) states ‘failure of the parent to appear may result in arrest and is a Class C misdemeanor’.
- Hearings are scheduled by the Juvenile Case Manager. You will receive a summons to appear with the location, date and time to appear in court.
- Your first appearance is to determine your plea. The plea must be made by the defendant and will be one of the following: Guilty, Not Guilty, or No-Contest. If a plea of Not Guilty is entered, your case will be reset to meet with the Assistant District Attorney.
- Juveniles who fail to appear or who fail to pay their fine will be reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which will suspend or deny issuance of their driver’s license.
- Juveniles who disobey a court order may be found in contempt of court and assessed a fine not to exceed $500 plus court costs or referred to the Juvenile Court for contempt. Their driver’s license may also be suspended or denied until they have fully complied.
Community Service Hours – Community service hours may be a required. Community service hours are ordered on a case-by-case basis and must be completed at a non-profit agency. It is your responsibility to contact the agency of your choice to work and arrange hours to be worked to satisfy your sentence. If you wish to work at a provider not listed, it must be at a NON PROFIT location.
Juveniles that are now adults – If you received a citation for an offense while 16 years of age or younger and are now over 17 years of age, you are still subject to the laws of that particular case. If you have any questions regarding how to handle your case, please contact the Juvenile Case Manager. If you do not take care of your un-adjudicated cases, you may be subject to additional charges and penalties as an adult, and a warrant may be issued.