Along with a growth boom like Kendall County is experiencing comes increased crime, and the juvenile courts are seeing the same growth trajectory.
The juvenile courts in the 451st District Court used to remain sparse, with most crimes being lower-level charges. But, there has been a surge of high-level felonies committed by Kendall County children and juvenile visitors in recent months, documents show.
“Most of these juvenile crimes are being committed by people outside of our jurisdiction. However, increased crime is a symptom of growth here,” Kendall County District Attorney Nicole Bishop said. “Our job as district attorneys is to protect the public and seek justice. If you come out here, even as a juvenile, and commit egregious crimes, we are going to seek the most appropriate sentence for the crime.”
Earlier this year, 451st District Court Judge Kirsten Cohoon had to oversee four certification hearings for juveniles who committed serious felonies in the county. Certification hearings are brought before a juvenile court judge when the district attorney’s office seeks to move a juvenile out of the protected juvenile court system and into criminal courts. The measure mostly is reserved for higher-level felonies committed by teenagers at or over the age of 14 or 15, depending on the crime.
Certification of minors has seldom been done in Kendall County or the 451st District Court, as records show it has only happened once in the 451st District since Rick Jimenez was certified as an adult and found guilty of stabbing a Fair Oaks Ranch resident during a robbery and leaving him for dead in 2016. The only certification to be completed under Cohoon was done under a mandatory certification after a sexual assault was reported after the assailant turned 18.
Three certification hearings were brought before Cohoon in January after teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 were charged with committing the first-degree felony crimes of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. The three teenagers were accused of holding a drug dealer at gunpoint to steal an ounce of marijuana, pointing a gun at the dealer’s face before taking the drugs and leaving. The drugs were valued at $200.
Cohoon denied all three certifications, and two of the teenagers pleaded true to the charges and were sentenced last month. During each certification hearing, Cohoon noted case law that states certification of a minor should remain the exception rather than the rule.
One of the boys was sentenced to five years of juvenile probation after a six-month stay at the Shoreline Treatment Center, which is a residential treatment center in Taft, Texas, and treats teenagers struggling with substance abuse.
“Let me tell you something,” Cohoon said to one of the teenagers before handing down his sentence. “Much like life, the practice of law is sometimes a little messy. Sometimes you mess up paperwork. Sometimes you mess things up, but generally speaking you get to correct. Much like life, you make mistakes, and you get corrections. They make take time, but you can correct the behavior and move forward.”
Cohoon sentenced the other boy to 10 years, but the judge probated his term. If he successfully completes the terms of his probation without picking up another criminal charge, he will not spend any time in prison – juvenile or otherwise.
His mother was called to testify about the change since her son was detained – a change in behavior that was noted by Cohoon and court staff alike.
“He told me, ‘Mom, I made decisions that an adult would, and I’m not an adult and now I’m here,” the teenager’s mother testified. “He goes, ‘I cannot believe I’m in here, and I pray that God gives me a second chance because if he gives me a second chance, I want to do better with my life.’ He goes, ‘I want to get a job, and I want to start my own business, and I want to take care of you and my siblings and everybody. I want to change.’”
These were not the most egregious crimes committed by teenagers to come before the juvenile courts this year, documents show.
A 17-year-old boy was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he met with a man selling a gun and nearly beat him to death with a tire iron. The assault occurred in October 2021. Despite pleading true to the charge and being sentenced, his decision to assault the man remains a mystery to the court, officials said.
“He sought somebody out on Craigslist,” Bishop said during the teenager’s sentencing hearing, describing the events that led to the teenager being in juvenile court. “He lured them out. When his car broke down the victim even helped him change his tire on his car. Then that very tire iron he used to try to beat him to death. ...
“I would say that’s scarier than if he had a history, a bad home, a history for violence. It was cold, it was calculated. At any moment he could’ve changed his mind, but he played it through, and we are yet to determine what his motivation was. He didn’t know him. Didn’t seem like he was going to steal anything. The protection of the public demands he be sentenced to TJJD.”
In a rare move, Cohoon went above the state’s punishment recommendation of 15 years, sentencing the teenager to 20 years. Juvenile sentences for first-degree felonies require the defendant to serve a three-year minimum term before being considered for release. Because the defendant was 17 at the time of the sentencing, he will be transferred to state prison as an adult to serve at least the minimum time.
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