Tarrant County Diversion Programs

Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC | Tarrant County Diversion Programs and Specialty Courts

The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office offers a variety of Deferred Prosecution Diversion and Specialty Programs, including:

First Offenders Drug Program (FODP), for first time drug offenders;
Deferred Prosecution Programs (DPP) for young first-time offenders on misdemeanors and low level felony offenses;
Tarrant County Veterans Court Diversion Program, for military Veterans;
Public Safety Employee Treatment Court, for police officers, fire fighters, or emergency first responders;
Mental Health Diversion Program, for those suffering from a mental health diagnosis and seeks help; and
Diversion Programs for Assault and Family and Domestic Violence Offenses.

These programs are designed to give offenders the help they need, while allowing for their misdemeanor and felony charges be taken off their record if they successfully complete the program.

Our goal is to help our clients get accepted into one of the Tarrant County Diversion Programs (which all allow for the case to be dismissed and become eligible for an expunction).

Our Team is Dedicated to Specialty Programs

At Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC, our team of criminal lawyers are dedicated to helping clients get into diversion and specialty programs. Partner Hilary Wright is the President-Elect for the Texas Association of Specialty Courts and Dustin Trammel is a Veteran of the United States Army, and routinely helps Veterans charged with criminal and DWI offenses. In addition, Partners Lindsay Truly and Dustin Trammel both provide legal services for the Tarrant County Mental Health (MHMR) court program. We are committed to helping clients get the best results on their case and making sure we fight to get them the help they need.

Here is some more information on some of the diversion programs in Tarrant County, Texas.

Tarrant County Deferred Prosecution Program (DPP) | Young First-Time Offenders

The Tarrant County Deferred Prosecution Program (DPP) is a limited supervision program designed to give the young person in trouble for the first time the chance to rehabilitate himself or herself without the stigma of a criminal conviction.

DPP is available to offenders, aged 17 to 24 at the time of the offense, who have not been previously convicted or supervised for a Class B offense or above, and are willing and able to rehabilitate themselves.

Disqualifications

Applicant:

Over 24 years old at time of offense
Previous juvenile adjudication
Member of mental health priority population
Positive drug screen with application
Previous conviction or supervision for Class B offenses and above
Previous participation in DPP

Offense:

Multiple offenses not occurring out of same criminal episode
Offense committed after first arrest or while on bond
Injuring or placing anyone in danger during course of offense
Gang related offense

First Offender Drug Program (FODP) | First Time Drug Possession Arrests

Regardless of age, if you have been charged with your first misdemeanor or low-level felony drug possession charge and have never been arrested before, then you might qualify for the First-Time Offender Drug Program that is offered by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. We help our clients navigate the application process, the Court hearings, as well as assist once our clients have completed the program (i.e. clearing their record through an expunction). Here is the link to learn more about this program.

Veterans Court Diversion Program

If you are a veteran or a current member of the United States Armed Forces, including members of the Reserves, the National Guard, or State Guard and have a pending case in the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, then you might qualify for the Veterans Court Diversion Program. We offer our clients assistance throughout the application and admittance process. Here is the link to learn more about the Veterans Court Diversion Program.

If you have a pending case in the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and think you may qualify for one of these programs, then we are here to help. Call us at 817-334-7900 and we can get started immediately on your case.

Public Safety Employees Treatment Court (PSETC) | Emergency Service Employee Diversion Program

If you are in public safety or emergency services (police officer, fire fighter, detention officer, jailer, emergency first responder employee for the state and have a pending case in the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, then you might qualify for the Public Safety Employees Treatment Court. We offer our clients assistance throughout the application and admittance process. Here is the link to learn more about this Diversion Program.

Assault and Domestic Violence Diversion Programs

Domestic Violence Diversion Program

The Domestic Violence Diversion Program, which targets domestic violence, or violence between intimate partners. Selected defendants charged with family violence in Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 5 or County Criminal Court No. 1 are placed into the pre-trial diversion (PTD) court which monitors the defendant’s progress in a non-adversarial manner, and is in lieu of traditional case processing. The program is typically 12 months long and results in a dismissal (and can later be sealed). To visit the program website, click here.

Youthful Offender Diversion Alternative Program (YODA)

YODA is an alternative to standard pre-trial diversion programs for family assaults presented in Criminal Court No. 5 and Criminal Court No. 1. This program provides counseling and case management to youthful offenders aged 17-25, who have been arrested for assault against a non-intimate family member. To visit the program website, click here.

Other Behavioral Intervention with Assault Non-family (OBI WAN) Program

OBI WAN is an extension of the YODA program for defendants with simple assault cases involving persons who are not family members up to the age of 25. To visit the program website, click here.

Mental Health Court Diversion Program

The mission of the Mental Health Court Diversion Program is to identify mentally impaired offenders, to expedite them through the criminal justice system. To visit the program website, click here.

Reaching Independence through Self-Empowerment Program (RISE)

The vision of the RISE program is that every woman reaches her full potential and lives a healthy, productive, drug free and non-criminal lifestyle. For more information call 817-531-5605.

Felony Alcohol Intervention Program (FAIP)

The Tarrant County Felony Alcohol Intervention Program (FAIP) is a post-adjudication program for the high-risk repeat DWI offenders. FAIP provides consistent and lengthy structure allowing the offender to benefit from the treatment experience. It offers an alternative to traditional prison (TDC) or probation outcomes for DWI felony repeat offenders. To visit the program website, click here.

Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC is here to help

Call today at 817-334-7900 to see how we can help you fight your criminal charge and see if you qualify for one of the diversion or specialty courts that allow your case to be dismissed (and sealed).

TARRANT COUNTY DIVERSION PROGRAMS

Fort Worth Criminal Defense Lawyer and DWI Attorney