Juvenile Information

Juvenile Procedures

The Municipal Court has jurisdiction over juveniles (10 to 16 years of age) charged with Class C misdemeanor offenses.

Required to Appear

All juvenile defendants who were under the age of 17 at the time of receiving the citation are required to appear in open court before the Judge for all proceedings in their cases. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of a juvenile charged in Municipal Court is also required to be present in court with his or her child. Payments will not be accepted prior to your initial court appearance.

Failure to Appear

Juveniles who fail to appear or who fail to pay their fines will be reported to the Department of Public Safety, which will suspend or deny issuance of their driver's license.

Address Changes

A juvenile and parent required to appear before the court have an obligation to provide the court in writing, if their address changes, with the current address and residence of the child, on or before the 7th day after the date the child changes residence. This obligation does not end when the child reaches age 17, but continues until your case is fully resolved, and all fines and court costs are paid or discharged.

Juvenile Diversion Program

City of University Park Youth Diversion Plan (PDF)

Youth Flowchart (PDF)

Juveniles who have been charged with a non-traffic offense for the first time may qualify to take part in the diversion program. This program gives an opportunity for first-time offenders to resolve a citation without being formally charged in court.

If you are interested or believe that you qualify for the program, contact the municipal court to schedule a meeting with the Judge. At the meeting, the Municipal Judge will discuss with you the requirements and expectations to successfully complete the program.