Travis County DWI Pretrial Diversion

Applying, and why timing matters

Applications go through the county, and the window is limited rather than open ended. This is not something to raise after several settings have passed.

Eligibility is decided case by case. I can usually tell you on a first call whether it is realistic given the charge level, the record and the facts, and that conversation is worth having before any other decision about how a case should resolve.

It is also worth weighing honestly. Entering a program means accepting a structure rather than testing whether the State can prove its case. Where the evidence has a genuine problem in it, that is a real trade rather than an obvious choice.

The process has distinct stages. The county first screens the application and supporting case information under its published criteria. Acceptance ordinarily leads to a written participation agreement, assigned conditions, and a period of documented compliance. Applying or being accepted does not dismiss the charge, and failure to complete or termination from the program can return the case to the ordinary prosecution track.

The acceptance agreement, proof of each completed condition, the formal completion or termination notice, and the final court order are different documents and should be kept together. They show what conditions were assigned, whether any condition was modified or disputed, how participation ended, and what disposition the court actually entered.