Dual Status Youth Court
Travis County Dual Status Youth
Any youth referred to the Travis County Juvenile Justice System who meets the statutory definition of a “dual status child” under Texas Family Code Section 51.02(3-a) (A) and (B) will be assigned to the DSY Docket (aka Crossover Docket), unless the referral involves certain offenses, at the discretion of the Dual Status Court Judge.
Any youth referred to the Travis County Juvenile Justice System who meets the statutory definition of a “dual status child” under Texas Family Code Section 51.02(3-a) (C) and (D) may be assigned to the DSY Docket (aka Crossover Docket) at the request of the Juvenile Probation Department, the District Attorney’s Office, or the juvenile defense attorney, or at the discretion of the court, unless the referral involves certain offenses.
Texas Family Code Definition of Dual Status
Texas Family Code 51.02(3-a) "Dual status child" means a child who has been referred to the juvenile justice system and is:
(A) in the temporary or permanent managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services;
(B) the subject of a case for which family-based safety services have been offered or provided by the department;
(C) an alleged victim of abuse or neglect in an open child protective investigation; or
(D) a victim in a case in which, after an investigation, the department concluded there was reason to believe the child was abused or neglected.
Dual Status Youth Court- Youth Assignments
The Presiding Judge of the Dual Status Youth Court approves each youth assigned to the docket based on the youth's dual status, as defined by the Texas Family Code, and considering the nature of the offenses alleged.
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Any prosecutor, defense attorney, or juvenile probation officer may refer a youth to the Presiding Judge for consideration to be assigned to the Dual Status Youth Court.