Tarrant County currently offers a variety of unique diversion and specialty programs designed to help provide an alternative to traditional criminal outcomes (i.e. First time offenders, Young offenders, Veterans court, First Responders Court, Mental Health Diversion, and Repeat DWI Offenders). It is the mission of these programs to divert defendants from traditional judicial avenues through counseling, mentor-ship, or providing the opportunity to correct a one-time mistake. Below you will find a brief explanation or mission statement of the Tarrant County Diversion Programs offered.

Where applicable, our goal is to help our clients get accepted into one of these programs. Many of these programs allow for the case to end up dismissed and eligible for an expunction (erase the record of the arrest).

1A. TARRANT COUNTY DEFERRED PROSECUTION PROGRAM (DPP) | YOUNG FIRST TIME OFFENDERS 17-24 YEARS

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. For more information on the DPP program for Tarrant County.com, click here.

  Disqualifications

  Applicant Disqualification:

  • 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 Disqualification:

  • 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

1B. TARRANT COUNTY DEFERRED PROSECUTION INITIATIVE (DPI) | FIRST TIME OFFENDERS 25 YEARS OR OLDER

The Deferred Prosecution Initiative (DPI) is a limited supervision program designed to give first time offenders who are 25 years or older a second chance with sobriety through deferred prosecution. For clients who complete the program, your case will be dismissed and will be eligible for an expunction (wipe it off your record).

DPI is available to first time offenders, aged 25 years or older 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.

You are disqualified from applying for the program if:

  1. Recent juvenile adjudication or certifications
  2. Member of mental health priority population (other initiatives and diversion programs may be better suited for these offenders)
  3. Previous conviction or supervision for Class B offenses and above
  4. Previous participation in a diversion program
  5. Any gang affiliation
  6. Multiple offenses not occurring out of the same criminal episode
  7. Offense committed after first arrest or while on bond
  8. Injuring or placing anyone in danger during course of offense
  9. Gang related offense
  10. Any drug offense in which applicant is alleged to be manufacturing, delivering or possessing with intent to manufacture or deliver

2. First Offender Drug Program (FODP)

You must complete an application within 90 days of your case filing. The First Offender Drug Program is a limited-supervision program for first-time drug offenders that would be considered a “self-corrector.” For more information, click here.  To visit the program website directly, click here.

3. 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.  To visit the program website, click here.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Tarrant County Public Safety Employees Treatment Court | First Responders Diversion Program

The mission is to help to public safety employees (police, firefighter, EMT, EMS, Sheriff’ Office, Jailer, Detention Officers) to successfully get treatment from the traditional criminal justice system and provide them with an opportunity to get their case dismissed. For more information, click here.

7. Veterans Court Diversion Program

The mission is to successfully divert Justice Involved Veterans (JIV) from the traditional criminal justice system and provide them with the tools they need to lead a productive and law-abiding lifestyle. It allows Veterans the ability to get into a program that can lead to a dismissed criminal case and expunction.  For more information, click here.  To visit the program website, click here.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

Call today at 877-712-6336 and let us help you to discuss the different diversion program options and if they apply to your criminal case.