Autism Defense Lawyers | Special Needs Criminal Defense Attorneys
Houston Special Needs Criminal Defense Lawyer for over 29 years
In Texas, the criminal justice system far too often involves itself and arrests adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger’s Syndrome which is now considered as high functioning autism, and other special needs disabilities. Unfortunately, many police officers and teachers lack the training and education to understand and to handle individuals with special needs in a calm and peaceful manner. A special needs individual might behave in a certain way that they cannot control, however a police officer or witness may perceive that behavior as intentionally dangerous or aggressive.
The Texas criminal justice system is set into motion once someone calls the police, and friends and parents have minimal control. Law enforcement agencies investigate the incident and report their version of the facts to the District attorney who makes the decision whether to charge an individual with an offense, either misdemeanor or felony. Sadly, this happens frequently in Texas—autistic or otherwise special needs individuals are charged with a crime for behavior that was simply misunderstood and not criminal in nature at all. Even when the alleged victim (who is frequently a family member or parent) does not want to press charges, the District attorney may still go forward with the charges.
Houston Criminal Defense Lawyers with Firsthand Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder
James Sullivan understands and empathizes with autistic children as high functioning autism runs in his family. As a result, our defense firm has firsthand, special knowledge of how adults and children are impacted by autism and other special needs. Further, we have represented many autistic adults and children who have been charged with various offenses, including family violence and sexual offenses. On cases involving special needs clients, we have a high success rate in obtaining dismissals throughout southeast Texas.
The consequences of a charge or conviction in the criminal or juvenile justice systems can significantly impact an individual’s life and future. It is critical to have a defense lawyer with trial experience in the Texas criminal and juvenile justice systems and who also understands how disabilities affect a person’s behavior. Criminal and juvenile cases can be resolved in different ways, including pretrial diversion program, deferred adjudication, deferred prosecution, probation, jury trial and dismissal. In order to properly represent an adult or juvenile client, we spend time with him or her and even their family in order to understand their disability and how it affected their behavior in the matter at hand. We will then use that knowledge and understanding to aggressively defend them in court.
Free Consultation with a Houston Special Needs Criminal Lawyer
If you or your child has Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, or other special needs disability, and have been charged with a crime or delinquency, contact Houston criminal lawyer James Sullivan for a free consultation at (281) 546-6428. Our office is in northwest Houston near Jones Road and FM 1960, and we regularly defend criminal and juvenile clients throughout southeast Texas, including Harris and Fort Bend Counties.
Autism Resources
Autism Society – The Autism Society of America has been improving the lives of all affected by autism for over 50 years and envisions a world where individuals and families living with autism are able to maximize their quality of life, are treated with the highest level of dignity, and live in a society in which their talents and skills are appreciated and valued.
ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network) – The Autistic Self Advocacy Network seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement with regard to autism. ASAN believes that the goal of autism advocacy should be a world in which autistic people enjoy equal access, rights, and opportunities. We work to empower autistic people across the world to take control of our own lives and the future of our common community, and seek to organize the autistic community to ensure our voices are heard in the national conversation about us. Nothing About Us, Without Us!
Hidden Wings – This organization is dedicated to nurturing the gifts of young adults with autism so that they might have full and productive lives in society. Of high school graduates with autism, 6% have paid, full-time jobs; 3% live fully independently; 53% live in parents’ homes; and the majority of the rest live in group homes or institutions.
Celebrate EDU – This organization is about empowering through education for people on the spectrum. As the founder Jenny Anderson explains in her video, “we believe that all people regardless of ability or disability should have the chance to create a meaningful life.”
The Art of Autism – Their Vision is to empower and connect individuals within the autism community through participation in the Arts.
The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome by Tony Attwood is considered the most comprehensive book on high functioning autism.
Reviews by Parents of Juvenile Clients on the Spectrum
Mr. Sullivan represented my autistic son in a very difficult felony case in which my son confessed to a crime and provided proof of it to a school counselor, cps got involved, police got involved my son was detained in juvenile for about 2 months But Mr. Sullivan successfully was able to gain all outcomes that we were seeking for my son, thanks to his expertise in children in the spectrum my son is able to receive the counsels and therapies and was place in a specialized school and probation time all paid by the state of texas, he represented my son beautifully before the judge on court day and was very understanding of my family situation financially. I strongly recommend his services.
–Google review posted by the mother of a client Fort Bend County on December 15, 2022
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Criminal Cases
Our son has a history of well documented mental health issues from medical professionals. Sullivan is very familiar with the mental health issue [Asperger’s syndrome] and how it impacts our son. He thought outside the box and used that knowledge to our son’s advantage which seemed to be an impossible situation given the fact that my son had previously participated in a pretrial diversion program for a marijuana case.
—Avvo review posted by Eugene on March 15, 2017
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Excellent Above and Beyond Juvenile Representation
Hiring James Sullivan was the best decision we could have made in a very bad situation. Our 16 year old son was charged as a juvenile with aggravated sexual assault of a child and because of the age difference between him and the victim, the prosecutor was intent on a determinate sentence which would have labeled our son as a sex offender and felon for life. Our son may have had to register as a sex offender until age 28 and could never get his record sealed. Mr. Sullivan worked diligently to work out an informal agreement between our son and the county prosecutor that would allow our son to complete a sex offender therapy program and demonstrate rehabilitation. As we live in a different county from the one where the incident occurred, this was a very unusual situation. Mr. Sullivan even found a very qualified therapist in our area as we could not use the county’s providers due to the distance.However, part of the informal agreement was that our son submit to polygraph tests. Although he had admitted to everything there was to admit in disclosing his sexual history, he could not pass a polygraph. This would have negated the agreement and once again our son would be facing a determinate sentence. Mr. Sullivan asked if our son had ever been treated for a mental health disorder. When he was younger, our son had been treated for an anxiety disorder. Based on his intuition and observation, Mr. Sullivan suggested that our son exhibited characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism, and that could explain his inability to pass a polygraph. We were a little skeptical at first, but had him tested, and our son was indeed diagnosed with Asperger’s, a part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder. Despite proof of the diagnosis, the county prosecutor continued to insist on moving forward to negate the agreement and have my son receive a determinate sentence. Over a two month period, Mr. Sullivan pressured the county prosecutor to back off and allow my son to finish the informal agreement. Mr. Sullivan even had a reputable civil rights attorney waiting by to file a discrimination suit based on my son’s disability. Finally, the county prosecutor relented and agreed to an indeterminate sentence probation and to transfer it to our own county. Our son will not have to undergo any more polygraph testing, will have the opportunity to complete his program and eventually to have his records sealed.Throughout the process, Mr. Sullivan was thorough, compassionate and respectful. He was a rock for our family in a very turbulent time and we could not have asked for a better outcome.–Avvo review posted by the father of a client in Montgomery County on June 6, 2016
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Texas Juvenile Trial Warrior
In May 2013, we learned that our 16 year old son had been accused by his nephew of sexually assaulting him. We were frantic. The charges were outrageous and totally false. We first hired a local attorney who claimed he knew what he was doing. We were soon dissatisfied with his services, so we hired Attorney James Sullivan. Unlike the first attorney, Sullivan is board certified and an expert in juvenile law. Sullivan came out to our home and spent several hours getting to know us, our son and the details of the case. Our son is a gifted musician, has Asperger’s Syndrome, is kind and follows rules. There is no way our son would abuse his cousin or anyone else. We believed that the cousin’s father, a registered sex offender, may have abused him and forced him to make the accusation. The police did no meaningful investigation whatsoever. James Sullivan, however, investigated the alleged crime scene, the background of the accuser’s parents, interviewed the investigating officer and our son’s counselor. Within one week of being hired, Sullivan said he was ready to take the case to a jury trial but was confident that he could force the prosecutor to dismiss the case. We only had to go to court once. Sullivan told the prosecutor that if he did not dismiss the charges then he would ask the court for a speedy trial. The prosecutor asked for a one month reset date to review the case. Within three weeks, Sullivan called us with the news that the prosecutor had dismissed the charges. We were ecstatic and grateful. James Sullivan is a good lawyer and he really cares for his clients. He saved our son’s life and future. I highly recommend him. ~Grateful Parents in Montgomery County
–Avvo review posted by the father of a client in Montgomery County on November 26, 2013
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Thanks for saving our son’s life!
Our 17 year old son was falsely accused of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Our family is truly grateful for your kindness, expertise, hard work and dedication in working to get his case dismissed.Our son has Asperger’s syndrome (autism spectrum disorder), ADHD and other learning disabilities. Although I have been divorced from my son’s biological father for 16 years, his father continued to be abusive towards my son when they were together. At the time of the accusation, my son had just turned 17, which meant that he would be charged as an adult and if convicted would have to register as a sex offender for life. This would have destroyed him, our family and those of our other children.
In July 2016, I learned that his biological father and his wife were accusing my son of a serious sex crime against their son. My son is a very honest child. He tells me everything. With his father, he was always scared of him so he would do whatever he said. His father and his stepmom both claimed that my son confessed to this alleged crime against his half-brother who also was autistic and has Prader-Willi syndrome. His half-brother had gotten in trouble at school for inappropriately touching a teacher and exposing himself to other children, but instead of figuring out the problem there, my son was accused of a serious sex crime.In Feb 2017, I received a call from the police dept. I was told that my son had a warrant out for his arrest and to bring him to the county jail. That night I searched the internet and found our angel, Attorney Jim Sullivan. I didn’t know that criminal lawyers had autistic specialties. I read the reviews. I instantly knew that he was it. God sent him to us.That next day, my husband (his stepdad) and I brought our son in, paid bond, and took him to the county jail. That was a scary nightmare. I immediately called Jim Sullivan. I called, and I was shocked. He answered immediately. We literally spent hours on the phone. He was incredible. I felt as if I was talking to one of my family members. He answered all of my questions. This was one of the most terrifying times in our lives. We knew our son was innocent, but it didn’t seem to matter to the other parties involved or the law. So many things went wrong in the process while booking him in. He was supposed to be in and out, but he was in jail for 19 hours. Being autistic, that was extremely scary and confusing.Our son did not understand why his dad would say that he did something so awful and he didn’t understand why when he’s innocent that he was treated like he was. Jim Sullivan was there every second of the process. We met with him the next day. He was amazing. He truly understood Jade and listened to everything we had to say. He was so kind. His fees were reasonable and he truly, truly cared about our son and freeing him from this nightmare. I believe he put his whole heart into it as if my son was a part of his family. Jim is a unique man and lawyer. He was always there and always had a very quick, if not immediate response, when contacting him. We only had to go to one court one time.Jim Sullivan and his associate Nancy Botts prepared a very thorough defense packet. In mid-April 2017, our case went to the grand jury. That afternoon we got a call from Jim saying his case was no billed (dismissed).Those of you who are reading this, don’t look any further. Jim Sullivan is THE one. It was one of these reviews that made me know that he was the one. Jim always knew that our son was innocent and although this was an extremely difficult case, Jim did it. He freed our son of this horrific crime, gave him his life back, and freed him of his father for good. I have dealt with other lawyers. There is no one out there like this man. Look no further. Call Jim Sullivan.–Avvo review posted by the mother of a client in Galveston County on July 18, 2017
