11/08/2020
It’s been about seven months since I started my own law practice and I’ve been so busy getting that up and running that I’ve neglected updating this page. I’m going to try and do a better job with that. Thank you to all of you who have liked and followed my page. Please share or recommend it to your friends.
The Brazos County court system seems to be getting back to some semblance of normalcy. Jury trials are happening on a weekly basis and a few weeks ago I tried my first jury trial since Covid 19 hit. It was a particularly difficult case that involved my 14 year old client being accused of sexually assaulting his 8 year old male cousin. Three years of various court dates and delays passed before we actually got to trial and my client is now 17 years old.
From the beginning, the facts of the case just did not add up. The allegations were not supported by any physical evidence and the window of opportunity for these allegations to have actually happened was so small that they could not have occurred as alleged. There were inconsistencies in what the alleged victim was claiming and what others in the house actually heard or saw. I have to wonder why the prosecutor and the police could not see that. Fortunately, the truth finally came out at trial when the alleged victim admitted on the witness stand that he lied and he was not assaulted. So, our justice system worked and my client can now put this behind him. But at what cost?
Because of the allegation the Court imposed restrictions on my client. He could not attend regular school, he could not be around other children including his own siblings. He was forbidden to go home and had to stay with a grandmother or a family friend. He could not leave the house without approval from the juvenile authorities. Because money was tight and she had lost her home, a good portion of his time with grandma was spent at a cheap, one room motel. His contact with his family was reduced to meeting at a public restaurant once a week for dinner, if they could afford it. He wore an electronic monitor and was constantly supervised by the Court. This went on for over THREE YEARS! I’m not a child psychologist but I can’t help but think that this has damaged the child. It has certainly taken a toll on him. I can see it in his eyes and I hear it in his voice. He’s now a young man who, for all intents and purposes, lost several formative childhood years.
When the State dismissed the case against him he was so grateful. I was glad to have been able to help him. I just hope it didn’t take too long and he can overcome this and make a successful future for himself.