The Court Services Division primarily works with juveniles that are entering the system or being diverted from formal court proceedings while it’s also providing services to all divisions within the Juvenile Probation Department.
Intake Unit
Where juveniles are originally brought when an offense has been committed. Intake receives juvenile referrals from law enforcement, probation departments, lower courts, and from the judiciary. Intake oversees diversion programs to include the Neighborhood Conference Committee and Sole Sanctions. Intake works closely with the Juvenile Assessment Center. Intake provides screenings to juveniles referred to the department to determine current emotional state and substance use. Intake determines if juveniles will be released or detained upon referral. Intake submits preliminary investigation reports to the District Attorney's office. Intake is an essential area that is staffed 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Court Unit
Court Unit investigators prepare cases for court to address the alleged delinquent conduct of juveniles. The Court Unit is responsible for working with families while they travel through the adjudication and disposition process.
Deferred Prosecution Unit
Where juveniles are informally processed for offenses, and mediation and community service restitution services are used to hold the juvenile accountable for his or her offense. The Deferred Prosecution Unit supervises juveniles that have been placed on a contract. The Deferred Prosecution Unit provides face to face contacts with the juvenile and family and offers juveniles services that may help the juvenile address substance use, anger management, and life skills. The Deferred Prosecution Unit generally supervises juveniles for six months. Compliance with Deferred Prosecution results in successful closure of the case without the need to proceed with formal court proceedings.
COPE Unit
The 6-12 month-long COPE program is a diversion program that provides intensive services to juveniles experiencing mental health obstacles. COPE conducts court and staffings weekly to determine the needs and resources for the population assigned to this unit. COPE provides face to face contacts with the juvenile and family and utilizes services that offer counseling and therapy to assist the juvenile and family. Successful completions of the COPE program results in successful closure of the case without the need to proceed with formal court proceedings.
Truancy Court Unit
The Truancy Court is actively assigned to four middle schools and conducts court on the school campuses. The Truancy Court works with the schools to address each juvenile’s truancy issues.
JJAEP Unit
Provides for the education of male and female students who have been expelled from a public school in accordance with Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code.
Victim Services
Victim Services obtains victim information related to property crimes only. This information is needed to determine restitution amounts and payment plans. Victim Services also coordinates victim/offender mediation through volunteers provided by the Dispute Resolution Center. Successful mediation results in an agreement between the two parties.
