Helping Youths in Texas When They Find Themselves in Trouble
Board Certified Attorney by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Juvenile Law serving all of Texas from San Antonio
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For more than 27 years, families throughout the state of Texas have turned to Kevin L. Collins, P.C. to support their children and families in times of trouble. As a board-certified attorney in both juvenile and criminal law, Mr. Collins is one of the few attorneys in Texas with the breadth of knowledge and experience to represent children and teenagers accused of a variety of offenses. He is an experienced, aggressive advocate who defends juveniles with a passion. He knows that defending juveniles is a complex and multidisciplinary practice that involves knowledge of criminal, civil and family codes and procedures.
The knowledge you need, the experience you want
As a former juvenile prosecutor, and now as a juvenile defense attorney, Kevin Collins has handled juvenile crimes cases involving capital murder, murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated robbery and indecency with a child. Texas juvenile criminal law requires an extensive familiarity with other issues as well, such as the psychological and psychosocial development of adolescents. All of these factors must be thoroughly evaluated for successful juvenile criminal defense, regardless of the offense charged:
- Malicious mischief
- Underage drinking
- Underage DUI
- Drug possession
- Shoplifting
- Gang crimes
- Sex crimes
- Theft
- Criminal trespass
- Robbery
- Statutory rape
- Street and bar fights
One very common substantive area of juvenile defense law concerns sex offense allegations. Mr. Collins lectures annually on this topic at the Texas Bar Juvenile Law Conference, and this intricate aspect of juvenile law requires careful investigation, discovery and development of the evidence. Should a juvenile be convicted of this type of allegation, there are many strategies for exempting juveniles from sex offender registration and notification.
Juveniles tried as adults and special diversion programs
There are two types of juvenile criminal cases that permit more serious adult-type penalties for juvenile delinquent conduct. One is certification and transfer hearings that can result in juvenile jurisdiction being waived and the juvenile being transferred as an adult for prosecution purposes. This means a juvenile could receive real penitentiary time in an adult prison. The second area is determinate sentencing. The family code sets out certain aggravated juvenile criminal offenses that can result in penalties of up to 40 years. Initially, the juvenile stays in the juvenile system, but at 18, the juvenile can be transferred to adult prison for the balance of the sentence. Mr. Collins is a juvenile defense attorney who has experience in both of these categories of juvenile law and can fight for your child’s rights in these difficult proceedings.
Two of the topics that frequently arise in juvenile criminal law are deferred prosecution and pretrial diversion. These are legal scenarios that enable a juvenile to avoid an adjudication (and, hence, a juvenile record) by agreement with the prosecutor. A wide range of pretrial matters and motions can also be explored, including juvenile confessions, search and seizure issues, mental illness and retardation proceedings, and special education and other school issues. All of these areas should be considered in light of the access to and confidentiality of juvenile records and proceedings.
RECENT INTERVIEW – IN THE NEWS
CLICK HERE –> Raise the age from 17 in criminal cases
Call us for your child’s sake
If your child has been charged with or accused of a juvenile offense, call 210-598-8629 or contact Kevin Collins online today. Kevin L. Collins, P.C. serves juveniles throughout the state of Texas from its main office in San Antonio. Don’t let a chance pass your child by. Reach out today!