Deferred Prosecution Initiative in Tarrant County

If you are over 25 years old and facing a drug charge in Tarrant County, Texas you may qualify to have your case dismissed thanks to the Deferred Prosecution Initiative (DPI) in Tarrant County. The Deferred Prosecution Initiative is aimed to help offenders who are facing most misdemeanor drug cases (primarily marijuana arrests, but can extend to other controlled substances in some cases) to avoid the stigma of an arrest for drugs on their history by giving them a way to correct their mistake. Marketed as “a second chance for first time offenders,” this is a value program to anyone over 25 facing a first time drug charge from January 8, 2020 to present day.

Am I eligible for DPI in Tarrant County?

Like most things, there are some strings attached with the DPI program. Your Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyer should be able to tell you if your case is eligible. If you are over 25, charged with a misdemeanor drug crime unrelated to gang activity and have not participated in a diversion program already, you are likely a good candidate. Sometimes, even if you are facing multiple charges from a single arrest, you are still eligible. Many people don’t realize that having a criminal history can actually be appealed to the prosecutor so even if you have made a mistake in the past, so if you are close to fitting the description, it is worth a call to a Tarrant County Criminal Attorney to investigate the DPI program for your case.

What is expected of me in the DPI program?

The cost of the program is substantially less than the misdemeanor fines, in most cases. You will be expected to pay $300 for the program, and then to pay for a lab test and an inexpensive 4 hour drug awareness class.

The lab tests will be a series of hair follicle tests, with the expectation that the first test will show signs of drug use and then each following test will show that no drugs have been used during the time allotted.

What happens when I am finished?

Upon finishing the program, your records will be kept privately to ensure you do not attempt to enter another diversion program, but will not be disclosed outside of the court. If you feel you may be a candidate for the DPI program, don’t wait! You only have within 90 days of your case filing to apply. Even without a lab report, the clock has started ticking on your DPI eligibility. Call an Arlington Criminal Defense Lawyer for assistance.