§ 54.032. DEFERRAL OF ADJUDICATION AND DISMISSAL OF
CERTAIN CASES ON COMPLETION OF TEEN COURT
PROGRAM. (a) A juvenile
court may defer adjudication proceedings under Section 54.03 for
not more
than 180 days if the child:
(1) is alleged to have engaged in conduct indicating a
need for supervision that
violated a penal law of this state of the
grade of misdemeanor that is punishable by fine only or a penal
ordinance
of a political subdivision of this state;
(2) waives, under Section 51.09, the privilege against
self-incrimination
and testifies under oath that the allegations
are true;
(3) presents to the court an oral or written request
to
attend a teen court program; and
(4) has not successfully completed a teen court
program in
the two years preceding the date that the alleged conduct
occurred.
(b) The teen court program must be approved
by the court.
(c) A child for whom adjudication proceedings are deferred
under Subsection (a) shall complete the teen
court program not
later than the 90th day after the date the teen court hearing to
determine punishment is held
or the last day of the deferral period,
whichever date is earlier. The court shall dismiss the case with
prejudice
at the time the child presents satisfactory evidence that
the child has successfully completed the teen court program.
(d) A case dismissed under this section may not be part of
the child's records for any purpose.
(e)
The court may require a child who requests a teen court
program to pay a fee not to exceed $10 that is set by the court
to
cover the costs of administering this section. The court shall
deposit the fee in the county treasury
of the county in which the
court is located. A child who requests a teen court program and
does not complete
the program is not entitled to a refund of the
fee.
(f) A court may transfer a case in which proceedings
have
been deferred as provided by this section to a court in another
county if the court to which the case is
transferred consents. A
case may not be transferred unless it is within the jurisdiction of
the court to
which it is transferred.
(g) In addition to the fee authorized by Subsection (e), the
court may require a
child who requests a teen court program to pay a
$10 fee to cover the cost to the teen court for performing its
duties under this section. The court shall pay the fee to the teen
court program, and the teen court program
must account to the court
for the receipt and disbursal of the fee. A child who pays a fee
under this subsection
is not entitled to a refund of the fee,
regardless of whether the child successfully completes the teen
court
program.
(h) Notwithstanding Subsection (e) or (g), a juvenile court
that is located in the Texas-Louisiana
border region, as defined by
Section 2056.002, Government Code, may charge a fee of $20 under
those subsections.
Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1031, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.
Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg.,
ch. 748, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1995; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 216, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001;
Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 283, § 18, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch.
910, § 2, eff. September 1,
2007.
