DIVERSION PROGRAMS IN SOUTH TEXAS- HIDALGO, CAMERON, WILLACY, STARR COUNTIES
A pre-trial diversion program in the Texas criminal justice system is a form of sentencing and these are typically run by a court, a district attorney’s office, or an outside agency designed to enable first-time offenders of criminal law to avoid a criminal conviction on their criminal record.
Diversion programs exist for felony and misdemeanor cases.
WHAT IS A DIVERSION PROGRAM IN TEXAS?
In Texas a Diversion Program can be broken down into these three areas:
- Giving sentencing alternatives at the time of conviction
- Giving sanctioning alternatives to revocation
- Reducing the future likelihood of recidivism
PRETRIAL DIVERSION PROGRAM
Pretrial Diversion in Texas is a voluntary program for first-time offenders charged with misdemeanors or felony criminal violations. Pretrial Diversion removes a defendant from prosecution prior to a guilty or nolo contendere plea. Pretrial Diversion can also be referenced as deferred prosecution, pretrial intervention, accelerated pretrial rehabilitation, and accelerated rehabilitative disposition. When the defendant successfully completes their Pretrial Diversion Program, a recommendation is made to the court to dismiss the charges.
In a Pretrial Diversion Program, the prosecutor will halt the case, so the defendant can complete the conditions of the diversion program. The conditions of the Pretrial Diversion Program can include probation, counseling and community service, among others.
McAllen Criminal Defense Attorney Juan Ramos Can Help!
Attorney Ramos fights hard for first-time offenders and assists them through every step of the pre-trial offense program to ensure your case is dismissed. He also offers discounted expungement rates for these clients to assist with the separate expungement process so they can truly move on with their life. Call Attorney Ramos at (956) 664-1059.