Tex.
Fam. Code Section 51.17
Procedure and Evidence
(a)
Except as provided by Section 56.01 (Right to Appeal)(b-1) and except for the burden of proof to be borne by the state in adjudicating a child to be delinquent or in need of supervision under Section 54.03 (Adjudication Hearing)(f) or otherwise when in conflict with a provision of this title, the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure govern proceedings under this title.(b)
Discovery in a proceeding under this title is governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure and by case decisions in criminal cases.(c)
Except as otherwise provided by this title, the Texas Rules of Evidence applicable to criminal cases and Articles 33.03 (Presence of Defendant) and 37.07 and Chapter 38 (Evidence in Criminal Actions), Code of Criminal Procedure, apply in a judicial proceeding under this title.(d)
When on the motion for appointment of an interpreter by a party or on the motion of the juvenile court, in any proceeding under this title, the court determines that the child, the child’s parent or guardian, or a witness does not understand and speak English, an interpreter must be sworn to interpret for the person as provided by Article 38.30 (Interpreter), Code of Criminal Procedure.(e)
In any proceeding under this title, if a party notifies the court that the child, the child’s parent or guardian, or a witness is deaf, the court shall appoint a qualified interpreter to interpret the proceedings in any language, including sign language, that the deaf person can understand, as provided by Article 38.31 (Interpreters for Deaf Persons), Code of Criminal Procedure.(f)
Any requirement under this title that a document contain a person’s signature, including the signature of a judge or a clerk of the court, is satisfied if the document contains the signature of the person as captured on an electronic device or as a digital signature. Article 2.26 (Digital Signature and Electronic Documents), Code of Criminal Procedure, applies in a proceeding held under this title.(g)
Articles 21.07 (Allegation of Name), 26.07 (Name as Stated in Indictment), 26.08 (If Defendant Suggests Different Name), 26.09 (If Accused Refuses to Give His Real Name), and 26.10 (Where Name Is Unknown), Code of Criminal Procedure, relating to the name of an adult defendant in a criminal case, apply to a child in a proceeding held under this title.(h)
Articles 58.001 (General Definitions), 58.101 (Definition), 58.102 (Designation of Pseudonym; Pseudonym Form), 58.103 (Victim Information Confidential), 58.104 (Court-ordered Disclosure of Victim Information), 58.105 (Disclosure of Certain Child Victim Information Prohibited), and 58.106 (Disclosure of Information of Confined Victim), Code of Criminal Procedure, relating to the use of a pseudonym by a victim in a criminal case, apply in a proceeding held under this title.(i)
Except as provided by Section 56.03 (Appeal by State in Cases of Offenses Eligible for Determinate Sentence)(f), the state is not required to pay any cost or fee otherwise imposed for court proceedings in either the trial or appellate courts.
Source:
Section 51.17 — Procedure and Evidence, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.51.htm#51.17 (accessed Jun. 5, 2024).
