What Is A Diversion Program And Why Should I Consider It?
Williamson County currently has three diversion type programs, three that are more formal than the fourth, all of which relate to various misdemeanors. For first-time offenders facing certain misdemeanor charges, the Pre-Trial Intervention Program (PTI) may provide the best resolution to your situation, while allowing you to seek an expunction – fancy legal term for order that would remove the arrest and case from public databases operated by the State of Texas – upon completion of the program. Essentially, you complete the PTI Program, file for and receive the expunction, and it is as if the case never occurred as far as the State of Texas is concerned. A second diversion program offered in Williamson County is the Veteran’s Court. While admission is more restrictive than the other programs, the Veteran’s Court affords an avenue for those who served us a way to deal with their case, with the potential for a dismissal being the end result. I can proudly say that I represented the very first veteran admitted into the Williamson County Veteran’s Court, and they successfully completed the program. The third diversion program is for those facing a second case for DWI, or a drug/marijuana case. The DWI/Drug Court is a court that focuses on helping individuals with their addiction through a structured program that can result in a reduction for the DWI charge, or another drug charge. The goal with this Court is to help someone by providing them with the tools necessary to address their addiction so that they can avoid making the same mistake down the road.
The last diversion program, one that is a bit less structured than the previous three, is the mental health docket. This docket is available for those facing misdemeanor charges that have a documented mental health issue and are seeking assistance for their medical condition. The program can assist with obtaining assistance for your condition.