Filing a criminal complaint...

So, I got hit with some kind of criminal complaint the other day....it says I’m supposed to head in for a meeting with Child Protective Services...which, honestly, what the hell does that have to do with a criminal charge? And what actually happens after this "meeting" anyway...is there going to be a trial or something?

Keith Jackson56 said:So, I got hit with some kind of criminal complaint the other day....it says I’m supposed to head in for a meeting with Child Protective Services...which, honestly, what the hell does that have to do with a criminal charge? And what actually happens after this "meeting" anyway...is there going to be a trial or something?

Read what it actually says, see who filed it, and wait for the summons—not sure why CPS would be involved here.

They’re going to ask how you relate to the allegations in the report. Tell them your side, then it all goes to the District Attorney, who decides whether to move forward with formal charges or not. If they drop the criminal complaint, they just tell the person who filed it that they can try to sue you privately in civil court.

Just to be clear, this is more of an invitation to talk rather than an official filing. It’s essentially a request for a conversation directed toward either the police or the District Attorney's office.

Look, I’m not a psychic! I’m just answering based on what he actually said.

It happened to my parents (which was expected for me), so I can’t really give you a better breakdown than this... basically, it's an invitation to discuss that criminal complaint regarding Section 173 of the Penal Code... or something along those lines.
So what does that actually mean? Am I going in for a conversation and then they decide whether or not to file formal charges, or is that not how it works?

Drug abuse?

Come on, don't tell me you aren't aware of what's happening...

Alex White6 said:Drug abuse?

Come on, don't tell me you aren't aware of what's happening...

I don't know... nor do I really care... but they dumped these hearings on me right during finals week, and I'm really not in the mood to travel 249 miles over this nonsense, so I'm just wondering how much more they can screw me over with this crap.

When exactly did you decide to start acting like such a clown?
If you aren't just being delusional because someone told you that you could go around tearing down walls in this neighborhood...
then honestly, if you don't have the slightest clue what’s actually going on here, maybe you should just head down to the nearest precinct and see if they can clear things up for you...

I mean... I have no clue why I even got this notice in the first place... but I am curious about how the whole court and hearing process actually works. For instance, is there any realistic chance you can skip the actual court appearance if you handle the interview well enough and everything goes smoothly?

Keith Jackson56 said:I mean... I have no clue why I even got this notice in the first place... but I am curious about how the whole court and hearing process actually works. For instance, is there any realistic chance you can skip the actual court appearance if you handle the interview well enough and everything goes smoothly?

Look, if the District Attorney decides to drop the charges or simply chooses not to pursue prosecution, then you're off the hook, which would be great—though I wouldn't hold my breath.
If you try to dodge a court date, don't be surprised when they come knocking on your door one morning to collect you.

So, what does the paperwork actually say? What's the address, and where exactly are you supposed to be?

So, tell me, are they bringing you in as a defendant or just a witness?

Mark Morris3 said:So, tell me, are they bringing you in as a defendant or just a witness?

Defendant... and I’d have to drive all the way out to Austin for the interview. I'm finishing up my degree at UT Austin and have exams scheduled those days, so it isn't exactly ideal timing.

Look, if your exam schedule is making things impossible and you genuinely can't make it, just give us a call to explain your absence; we'll get you rescheduled for another time.

So, you either lit something up or got caught up in some other mess, and now they’ve picked you up. I'm guessing you're still pretty young, which is probably why they're sending you to talk to a social worker first... who, by the way, already flagged you as a troublemaker. After that, expect a summons to court. That's basically the whole playbook, man. If you decide to blow this off, it might just end up being an aggravating factor once you actually get in front of a judge. Maybe you could try playing the student card—using exams or deadlines as an excuse to push back the meeting with the social worker, if you really need to buy some time.