Tex. Fam. Code § 51.18 · Chapter 51. GENERAL PROVISIONS
ELECTION BETWEEN JUVENILE COURT AND ALTERNATE JUVENILE COURT.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) This section applies only to a child who has a right to a trial before a juvenile court the judge of which is not an attorney licensed in this state.
(b) On any matter that may lead to an order appealable under Section 56.01 of this code, a child may be tried before either the juvenile court or the alternate juvenile court.
(c) The child may elect to be tried before the alternate juvenile court only if the child files a written notice with that court not later than 10 days before the date of the trial. After the notice is filed, the child may be tried only in the alternate juvenile court. If the child does not file a notice as provided by this subsection, the child may be tried only in the juvenile court.
(d) If the child is tried before the juvenile court, the child is not entitled to a trial de novo before the alternate juvenile court.
(e) The child may appeal any order of the juvenile court or alternate juvenile court only as provided by Section 56.01 of this code.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 1112, ch. 411, Sec. 2, eff. June 15, 1977. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 168, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 30, 1993.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.51.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 ef37b4bf4dc61ae9dd94656d15476559c40694e32e258db84b715244e989f34a
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.