Specialty and Problem Solving Courts such as drug courts follow a federally-supported drug court model. House Bill 1287 in 2001 required all counties in Texas with populations of more than 550,000 people to establish drug courts, and the mandated counties included Dallas County as well as Bexar County, El Paso County, Harris County, Hidalgo County, Tarrant County, and Travis County.
Fort Bend County, Jefferson County, and Montgomery County are three counties that created drug courts even though they were not required to do so. Drug courts allow many alleged offenders to possibly have their cases dropped for successful completion of court programs.
Drug Court Defense Lawyer in Irving, Dallas, Carrolton, Richardson, TX
Are you or your loved one preparing to go to drug court for an alleged criminal offense in Dallas? Do not go into court by yourself.
Contact the Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy today at (972) 233-5700 for a consultation about your alleged offense in Irving, Dallas, Carrolton, Richardson, and surrounding areas of Dallas County, Texas. Our firm will work to potentially get your criminal charges reduced or dismissed.
Drug Courts in Dallas County
Dallas County has a number of specialty courts. One of the most common drug courts is the Dallas Initiative for Diversion and Expedited Rehabilitation and Treatment or the DIVERT Court.
A person is only eligible for the DIVERT Court if they have been arrested for their first felony and the criminal charge is either a third-degree felony or state jail felony. The DIVERT Court program lasts between 12 and 18 months.
The Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility Community Corrections Continuum of Care (4-C) Court provides an effective and efficient means to reduce the adverse impact of repeat drug offenders. The participants in 4-C are “High Risk Criminogenic” offenders with a substance dependence diagnosis who have been released from the inpatient portion of a SAFPF unit.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office established the AIM Program in February of 2016 in an effort to reduce recidivism rates through a balanced curriculum of sanctions, incentives, and rehabilitation. The program is designed for low-level youthful offenders.
South Dallas Drug Court, Dallas County STAC (Successful Treatment of Addiction through Collaboration), Dallas County I.I.P. (Intensive Intervention Program), and Dallas County Misdemeanor DWI are all identified as adult drug courts. The Dallas County Diversion Male Court is a juvenile drug court.
Texas Drug Court Requirements
Dallas County notes that the programming of Specialty Courts’ includes judicial intervention, Community Supervision, and Corrections Division (CSCD) supervision, rehabilitative services, treatment plans, and additional therapeutic support to include:
- Judicial and (court) treatment team monitoring and intervention
- Continued delivery of case management services to coordinate treatment plan implementation;
- Quality substance/mental health/domestic violence/anger management and psychological services that may include cognitive skills, life skills, and relapse prevention components;
- Family intervention and counseling, are recommended;
- A network of support from those involved in the process encourages successful completion of treatment objectives; and
- Instilling the belief and rewarding successful completion provides a crime and drug-free lifestyle leading to productive citizenship.
In general, a person participating in a drug court program will likely be subject to weekly supervision by a community service officer and also frequent random urinalysis. Treatment sessions could also be ordered.
Drug Court Defenses in Texas
When you are facing criminal charges in a Dallas County drug court, you may be able to avoid any probationary agreement by fighting the criminal charges. For example, an arrest based on an illegal search or seizure could compromise the admissibility of the evidence and lead to criminal charges being thrown out.
Other cases could involve possible issues relating to constructive possession when one person is charged with drug possession even though multiple people had access to the area drugs were found. Other unique defenses could be available to certain people depending on the facts of their cases.
Texas Drug Court Resources
Texas Drug Courts | Texas Department of Criminal Justice — View a Texas Department of Criminal Justice document that discusses what drug courts are and their history in Texas. Also, learn about how drug courts work and how they are funded. You can also find information about the effectiveness of drug courts and the expansion of officers into satellite administrative courts.
Programs, Services & Specialty Courts | Dallas County — Visit this section of the Dallas County website to learn more about specialty courts. You can find information about many of the different Dallas County drug courts and programs. Also, find information about other programs and services.
Find A Dallas County Defense Attorney for Drug Court | Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy
If you or your loved one are preparing to enter a drug court in Dallas or another nearby community in Texas, make sure you have an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. The Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy can be with you every step of the way to make sure that you are able to successfully resolve your criminal case.
Contact the Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy today at (972) 233-5700 for a consultation about your alleged offense in Irving, Dallas, Carrolton, Richardson, and surrounding areas of Dallas County, Texas. Our firm will work to potentially get your criminal charges reduced or dismissed.