Juvenile Aggravated Assault

In a serious juvenile case, my client was charged with aggravated assault after allegations that he and several friends had thrown rocks from an overpass onto moving vehicles on the interstate.

My client, a juvenile, was the only individual detained near the scene. Although he initially insisted that he had not thrown any rocks and that his friends were responsible, police questioned him while he was handcuffed inside a patrol car.

Eventually, he admitted to throwing a rock — but the way officers obtained that confession violated Texas law.

When facing juvenile criminal charges in Houston, it’s critical to have a juvenile defense attorney near you who understands the unique rules protecting minors.

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Although the police did read my client his Miranda warnings, they failed to follow the special procedures required for juveniles under Texas law:

• Juveniles must be taken before a magistrate to have their rights read.
• The reading of rights and questioning must occur on the same continuous recording without any interruptions.
• No law enforcement officers are allowed to be present during the magistrate warning process.
  

None of these mandatory steps were followed. Instead, officers interrogated my client directly in the patrol car — violating critical constitutional protections.

I filed a motion to suppress the illegally obtained statement, and the court agreed. With the statement excluded, the State had no remaining evidence to proceed.

When you’re searching for a Houston lawyer near you who knows how to fight for juveniles’ rights, experience with these technical protections makes all the difference.