Tarrant County DIRECT Court | Tarrant County Defense Attorneys
Have you been arrested and charged with a drug offense in Tarrant County, but are ready to live drug-free? The Tarrant County DIRECT program can help you obtain and maintain sobriety while favorably resolving your criminal case and helping keep your record clean.
What is DIRECT Court?
DIRECT stands for Drug Impact Rehabilitation Enhanced Comprehensive Treatment. It is a drug court program for non-violent offenders. A person who is accepted into the DIRECT Drug Court Program will go through an intensive probation, but successfully completing DIRECT could result in the person avoid prison time, and even receiving a shortened probation sentence.
DIRECT in Tarrant County focuses on high-risk high-needs individuals.
Presiding Judges: Louis Sturns, Ruben Gonzalez, Scott Wisch
Program Manager: Cynthia Velazquez
What Are the Eligibility Requirements for DIRECT?
- Applicants with significant drug problem over a long period of time.
- Applicants with a criminal history of two or fewer convictions.
What Type of Charges Are Accepted for DIRECT Court?
DIRECT Court generally does not accept criminal charges involving weapons and/or death or applicants with a history of assaultive offenses.
- Criminal charges with Possession of Controlled Substances under 10g/Possession of Marijuana under 1lb.
- Offenses where the use of alcohol or controlled substance is suspected to have significantly contributed to the commission of the offense if:
- The offense did not involve carrying, possession or using a firearm or other dangerous weapon;
- The offense did not involve the use of force against the person of another; or
- The offense did not involve the death of, or serious bodily injury to, any person.
What is the Application Process for DIRECT Court?
Applicant screened by DIRECT staff to determine if pre-trial diversion or post-plea program is the best option. You must also provide a clean urinalysis upon admission.
What are the Conditions of DIRECT?
- Narcotics Anonymous and/or Alcoholics Anonymous
- Random Urine analysis
- Therapy
- Employment/Enrollment in School
- Curfew
What Are the Costs of DIRECT Court?
- $1000 fee with total expenditure up to $3,500.
- Program fee may be paid out over time.
- Lab fees must be paid at the time of the test.
- If the program is successfully completed, the remainder of the fee may be waived.
- Scholarships for program fee cost are available.
What Are the Benefits of DIRECT Court?
- If applicant pled to deferred adjudication, he/she may be eligible for non-disclosure.
- Avoid penitentiary time.
Our team of Fort Worth criminal defense attorneys are here to help you if you are facing a drug charge in Tarrant County. Call us at 817-203-2220 or contact us online. For more information regarding the DIRECT program, visit: https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/community-supervision-corrections/cscd-programs-and-services/DIRECTProgram.html
