Texas Family Code - Section 51.02. Definitions
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§ 51.02. DEFINITIONS. In this title:
(1) "Aggravated controlled substance felony" means an
offense under Subchapter D, Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code,
that is punishable by:
(A) a minimum term of confinement that is longer
than the minimum term of confinement for a felony of the first
degree; or
(B) a maximum fine that is greater than the
maximum fine for a felony of the first degree.
(2) "Child" means a person who is:
(A) ten years of age or older and under 17 years
of age; or
(B) seventeen years of age or older and under 18
years of age who is alleged or found to have engaged in delinquent
conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision as a result of
acts committed before becoming 17 years of age.
(3) "Custodian" means the adult with whom the child
resides.
(4) "Guardian" means the person who, under court
order, is the guardian of the person of the child or the public or
private agency with whom the child has been placed by a court.
(5) "Judge" or "juvenile court judge" means the judge
of a juvenile court.
(6) "Juvenile court" means a court designated under
Section 51.04 of this code to exercise jurisdiction over
proceedings under this title.
(7) "Law-enforcement officer" means a peace officer as
defined by Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.
(8) "Nonoffender" means a child who:
(A) is subject to jurisdiction of a court under
abuse, dependency, or neglect statutes under Title 5 for reasons
other than legally prohibited conduct of the child; or
(B) has been taken into custody and is being held
solely for deportation out of the United States.
(9) "Parent" means the mother or the father of a child,
but does not include a parent whose parental rights have been
terminated.
(10) "Party" means the state, a child who is the
subject of proceedings under this subtitle, or the child's parent,
spouse, guardian, or guardian ad litem.
(11) "Prosecuting attorney" means the county
attorney, district attorney, or other attorney who regularly serves
in a prosecutory capacity in a juvenile court.
(12) "Referral to juvenile court" means the referral
of a child or a child's case to the office or official, including an
intake officer or probation officer, designated by the juvenile
board to process children within the juvenile justice system.
(13) "Secure correctional facility" means any public
or private residential facility, including an alcohol or other drug
treatment facility, that:
(A) includes construction fixtures designed to
physically restrict the movements and activities of juveniles or
other individuals held in lawful custody in the facility; and
(B) is used for the placement of any juvenile who
has been adjudicated as having committed an offense, any
nonoffender, or any other individual convicted of a criminal
offense.
(14) "Secure detention facility" means any public or
private residential facility that:
(A) includes construction fixtures designed to
physically restrict the movements and activities of juveniles or
other individuals held in lawful custody in the facility; and
(B) is used for the temporary placement of any
juvenile who is accused of having committed an offense, any
nonoffender, or any other individual accused of having committed a
criminal offense.
(15) "Status offender" means a child who is accused,
adjudicated, or convicted for conduct that would not, under state
law, be a crime if committed by an adult, including:
(A) truancy under Section 51.03(b)(2);
(B) running away from home under Section
51.03(b)(3);
(C) a fineable only offense under Section
51.03(b)(1) transferred to the juvenile court under Section
51.08(b), but only if the conduct constituting the offense would
not have been criminal if engaged in by an adult;
(D) failure to attend school under Section
25.094, Education Code;
(E) a violation of standards of student conduct
as described by Section 51.03(b)(5);
(F) a violation of a juvenile curfew ordinance or
order;
(G) a violation of a provision of the Alcoholic
Beverage Code applicable to minors only; or
(H) a violation of any other fineable only
offense under Section 8.07(a)(4) or (5), Penal Code, but only if the
conduct constituting the offense would not have been criminal if
engaged in by an adult.
(16) "Traffic offense" means:
(A) a violation of a penal statute cognizable
under Chapter 729, Transportation Code, except for conduct for
which the person convicted may be sentenced to imprisonment or
confinement in jail; or
(B) a violation of a motor vehicle traffic
ordinance of an incorporated city or town in this state.
(17) "Valid court order" means a court order entered
under Section 54.04 concerning a child adjudicated to have engaged
in conduct indicating a need for supervision as a status offender.
Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 1460, ch. 544, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1973.
Amended by Acts 1975, 64th Leg., p. 2152, ch. 693, § 1, eff.
Sept. 1, 1975; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, § 3, eff. Jan. 1,
1996; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, § 6.06, 30.182, eff. Sept.
1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 822, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;
Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1013, § 13, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts
1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1086, § 41, 47, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts
2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, § 2.02, eff. June 14, 2001; Acts 2001,
77th Leg., ch. 1297, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th
Leg., ch. 283, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch.
949, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2005.
Section: 45.101 45.102 45.103 45.104 45.105 45.106 51.01 51.02 51.03 51.031 51.04 51.041 51.0411 51.0412 51.042
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Last modified: August 10, 2007
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