Longview, TX asked in Criminal Law, Civil Rights, Education Law and Juvenile Law for Texas

Q: 12yo being assaulted at school, parent was told can’t press charges due to being on school grounds. Is this true?

He has been assaulted 2x. 1st time prosecutor dropped the case. Today was 2nd and officer told us they can’t press charges due to being on school grounds. In first incident the child had been officially reported to school for bullying prior but no physical contact was had. Today I was told there had to be assault in the terms of medical attention needed. If there were not stitches, broken bones, concussion, etc then no they could not press charges. The child was not even talked to by police after assisting my son

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Someone is giving you bad information. Intentionally or knowingly causing offensive physical contact is a class C assault. Physical contact that causes pain is class A assault. An imminent threat to cause pain is a class C assault. Anything causing pain meets the minimum threshold for "injury" under Texas criminal law, even if it doesn't leave a mark.

It might be against the POLICY of the organization or the local law enforcement agency not to take action on an assault that doesn't require medical attention, but the Texas assault law absolutely does not require that level of injury.

This is the type of issue that requires knowledge of local politics so you should consult with an attorney that has an office in your local community.

1 user found this answer helpful

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.