A sweeping change in the law ushered in the start of the new school year in Texas. Truancy is finally no longer a crime in Texas. Students who have previously been charged with truancy can breathe a sigh of relief. The provisions of the new law erase any unpaid truancy fines. The law also reinstates all drivers’ licenses that had been suspended as the result of truancy convictions and recalls all active truancy warrants, giving students who had previously been convicted of truancy a clean slate.
Truancy charges were very, very common prior to its recent decriminalization. This is not surprising, because students could be charged with truancy after only ten unexcused absences. In Dallas alone, the recent changes in school attendance law will affect twenty seven thousand students who had been previously charged with truancy.
The issue of children not attending school is going to be handled differently in Texas from now on. School districts must now make efforts to reach out to and work with any students who receive more than ten unexcused absences before they can take any legal action against them. If any legal action is to be taken after the school district tries to help a student address his or her attendance issues, it will be in the form of a civil case. Civil truancy cases are only allowed under certain circumstances. For example, students are immune from civil actions regarding truancy when they are the primary breadwinner for their family, or if they are homeless, pregnant, or in the state’s foster care system. In some counties, special needs students and students with mental health concerns are also exempt from civil truancy cases.
In situations where a civil action is pursued by a school district and the school district prevails, any student who does not comply with a court order can be held in contempt of court. The consequences of being held in contempt include fines of up to a hundred dollars, as well as license suspension. Parents should also note that the change in the law applies to students. Parents may still be charged with a Class C misdemeanor if they fail to send their kids to school.
Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Providing Strong Defense When Texans Need it Most
Although truancy is no longer a crime, there are still many ways in which teenagers and young adults can find themselves being accused of being on the wrong side of the law. If you are charged with any type of crime, it is important that you contact a Texas Criminal Defense Attorney right away. Criminal charges can have far-reaching impacts on many different areas of your life, so there is a lot at stake. Attorney Alex Tyra is a criminal defense attorney with experience in handling many different types of criminal matters. He may be able to help you with your criminal case, too. To learn more, call our office at (903) 753-7499 today. Alternatively, you may contact us online.
