If you have been arrested for DWI or another criminal offense in Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, or anywhere in Denton County, the courthouse can feel like a maze, with different courts for different charge levels, a prosecutor's office split into divisions, and a driver's license clock running quietly in the background from the day of your arrest. This guide explains how the Denton County criminal courts actually work: where your case will be heard, who will be prosecuting it, what the local process looks like from arrest to disposition, and what diversion and treatment-court programs may be available. It reflects how these courts run in practice, not just what a statute says. Nothing here is legal advice or a promise about your case (every case is different), but it should help you walk in knowing what to expect.
Before You Go: The Essentials
Courthouse
Denton County Courts Building (houses the county criminal courts and the district courts). County criminal courts sit on the 1st and 2nd floors; district courts sit on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors.
County Clerk (misdemeanor / county-criminal-court records): (940) 349-2012 District Clerk (felony / district-court records): (940) 349-2200
Hours
The Courts Building is generally open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays. Clerk windows can keep shorter hours; confirm current hours before you go.
Parking
Free visitor parking is available in the surface lots around the building. Spaces near the main entrance fill quickly before morning dockets, so arrive early.
Security & Dress
Metal-detector and X-ray bag screening at entry. Weapons of any kind (firearms, knives, pepper spray) are prohibited. Cell phones generally allowed but must be silenced; no cameras, recording devices, or outside food/drink. Dress business or business-casual; avoid shorts, tank tops, flip-flops.
What to Bring
Government-issued photo ID, any paperwork you were given (citation, bond papers, court-notice card with your setting date and courtroom), your attorney's name and contact information, and a pen.
What's Prohibited
Weapons and any item flagged at screening. Leave anything you would not want confiscated in your vehicle, and silence your phone before entering a courtroom.
Where your case will be heard
Which court hears your case depends on the level of the charge.
Misdemeanor DWI and other Class A/B misdemeanors: County Criminal Courts at Law. Class A and Class B misdemeanors, including DWI, are heard in the Denton County Criminal Courts at Law. There are five of them (County Criminal Court at Law No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5), and all five hear misdemeanor DWI. That includes DWI first offense (Class B), and the enhanced Class A misdemeanors: DWI second offense and DWI with a blood- or breath-alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher. Unlike some counties, Denton does not run a separate DWI docket for first assignment; a misdemeanor DWI is simply filed into one of the five county criminal courts. (The county's DWI Treatment Court is a post-plea specialty program, described below, not the court where a case first lands.) These courts sit on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Denton County Courts Building. Your specific court, and the judge presiding over it, appears on your court-notice paperwork and in the county's online case search; assignments can change over time.
One local wrinkle worth knowing: the county criminal courts also carry concurrent jurisdiction over felony intoxication offenses brought by grand-jury indictment (Tex. Gov't Code § 25.0632). In practice, that means a felony DWI can be heard in a county criminal court or in a district court, depending on how it is assigned.
Felony charges: District Courts. Felony criminal matters, including felony DWI (a third or subsequent DWI, intoxication assault, or intoxication manslaughter), are prosecuted in Denton County's District Courts. The county has eleven district courts, and their dockets mix civil, criminal, and family matters. Several carry the felony criminal docket (the 16th, 158th, 211th, 362nd, 367th, and 462nd are among the district courts the District Attorney's Felony Trial Division regularly staffs for felonies), and assignments can shift with local scheduling. All district courts sit in the Denton County Courts Building; confirm your court on your paperwork or the county's online case search.
Class C, fine-only offenses: Justice of the Peace and municipal courts. Fine-only Class C matters (most traffic tickets, public intoxication, minor-in-possession, and city-ordinance violations) are not heard in the county criminal courts. Offenses in the county outside city limits go to one of Denton County's Justice of the Peace precinct courts. Class C offenses inside a city's limits go to that city's municipal court, for example the Denton, Lewisville, or Flower Mound municipal courts. Which city's court applies to a given citation depends on where the offense occurred.
Who prosecutes your case
Here is the single biggest thing an out-of-town firm gets wrong about Denton County: there is no separate County Attorney handling criminal cases. Some Texas counties split prosecution: a County Attorney takes misdemeanors and a District Attorney takes felonies. Denton does not. It uses a unified model in which the Denton County Criminal District Attorney prosecutes both felonies and misdemeanors. Your misdemeanor DWI is prosecuted by that office, not by a county attorney.
The office is organized into divisions. The Misdemeanor Trial Division staffs the five County Criminal Courts at Law and prosecutes misdemeanors, including misdemeanor DWI; it also covers contested criminal matters in the county's Justice of the Peace courts on rotation. The Felony Trial Division assigns prosecutors to the district courts for felonies, including felony DWI.
Office: Denton County Criminal District Attorney, 1450 E. McKinney St., Suite 3100, Denton, TX 76209 (mailing address: P.O. Box 2344, Denton, TX 76202-2344); main line (940) 349-2600.
How intake and a first-offense DWI are generally handled. The DA's office screens cases and, rather than applying a blanket "first-offense DWI" charge-reduction policy, routes qualifying first offenders through its formal diversion and treatment tracks (chiefly the Pre-Trial Diversion Program described below), which the office approves at its own discretion. In practice, on a first-offense misdemeanor DWI the realistic path to a dismissal generally runs through the diversion program rather than an automatic across-the-board reduction. Whether any individual case is offered diversion, reduced, or set for trial depends on the specific facts, the person's record, and the evidence, and no outcome is promised.
The local process, step by step
Every case is different, but a Denton County criminal case generally moves through these stages:
Arrest and booking. After a DWI or other arrest, you are booked into the Denton County Jail through the Sheriff's Office, which maintains the arrest and booking records.
Magistration. A magistrate informs you of the charges and your rights, sets bond, and imposes any bond conditions, generally shortly after booking.
Bond and conditions. Bond and conditions are set at magistration. Conditions in a DWI case can include no-alcohol terms, an ignition interlock device, or portable or continuous alcohol monitoring, depending on the facts.
The driver's-license clock (separate track). A DWI arrest starts a second, civil case against your license. You have only 15 days from the date of arrest to request an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing from the Texas Department of Public Safety, or your license is automatically suspended on the 40th day after the notice. This proceeding is handled by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, not the criminal court; see the ALR note below.
Filing and first setting. For a misdemeanor, the DA's Misdemeanor Trial Division files the charge and the case is set in the assigned County Criminal Court at Law. For a felony, the case is presented to a grand jury for indictment before it proceeds in a district court. Your first setting is largely administrative, covering appearances, scheduling, and confirming counsel.
Discovery. Under the Michael Morton Act (Texas's criminal discovery statute), the prosecution provides its evidence. In DWI cases this typically includes the offense/incident report, the probable-cause affidavit, CAD dispatch records, breath or blood lab results, certified driving records, any EMS or hospital records, and dash-cam and body-cam video. Filing and exchange are handled electronically.
Announcement / plea dockets. Cases move through a rhythm of reset settings at which the parties announce status, exchange positions, and either continue negotiating, apply for a diversion or treatment track, or move toward trial.
Pretrial motions. Where the facts support it, and routinely in felony matters, the defense files motions such as a motion to suppress evidence, along with related trial-preparation filings.
Trial setting. If the case does not resolve, it is set for trial, with announcement practice governing how firmly a given trial date holds.
Disposition. The case concludes by dismissal, diversion, plea, or trial verdict, depending on its facts and posture.
Local programs
Denton County's diversion and specialty-court programs are administered through the Criminal District Attorney's office. Eligibility and outcomes below come from the county's published program materials; confirm current terms with the administering office, because criteria change and admission is discretionary.
Pre-Trial Diversion Program (PTD). The primary path to a dismissal for a qualifying first offender. It is aimed at true first offenders: generally no prior adult diversion, deferred adjudication, or other adult disposition, and no significant prior criminal history (most Class C and juvenile matters do not disqualify). Felonies and more serious misdemeanors are generally excluded. An applicant must accept responsibility, and the DA has sole discretion even when every criterion is met. Successful completion results in dismissal of the case, with eligibility to expunge the arrest afterward. For a qualifying first-offense misdemeanor DWI defendant, this is the usual route to dismissal.
First Offender Drug Program (FODP). Diverts low-risk, first-time drug offenders into court supervision. Successful completion results in dismissal, with eligibility for expunction.
Denton County Drug Court. Intensive supervision and treatment for high-risk felony drug offenders, run in phases with random testing. It is structured as a probation-based program, and the terms on completion are set by the court rather than an automatic dismissal.
Mental Health Treatment Court (MHTC). Diverts offenders with a legitimate mental illness into supervised treatment. Completion can result in dismissal, with possible expunction.
DWI Treatment Court Program. A phased, intensive program for select repeat, high-risk DWI offenders. Participants are placed on supervised probation with treatment, counseling, random alcohol and drug testing, and frequent court appearances. This is a probation-based program, not a diversion-to-dismissal track; completion is a condition of probation and does not by itself dismiss the case. The key point for a first-offense DWI defendant: this court is aimed at repeat offenders, not first offenses.
Veterans Treatment Court Program (VTCP). For veterans whose combat-related mental-health conditions contributed to the charged offense. It runs in three phases, with eligibility screened by the DA's Program Manager and the Veterans Court Treatment Team. Veterans are given the opportunity to clear the criminal charge from their record on successful completion.
Driver's-license (ALR) hearings. ALR hearings are civil driver's-license proceedings held by the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), an independent state agency, not DPS and not the criminal court. On a DWI arrest, DPS moves to suspend the license if the driver refuses or fails (0.08 or higher) a breath or blood test, and you must request the hearing within 15 days of the arrest or the suspension takes effect automatically. Denton County cases are set on SOAH's regional docket for the Dallas–Fort Worth area and may be heard in person, by telephone, or by video. The issues are narrow: reasonable suspicion for the stop, probable cause to arrest, and whether you refused or tested at 0.08 or higher.
What makes Denton County different
A few realities of practicing here are things a local defendant would recognize immediately and an out-of-town firm can miss. Each rests on how the county's courts and prosecutor are structured, public facts about the local system, not any prediction about a case.
One office prosecutes everything. Because Denton uses a unified Criminal District Attorney (not a County Attorney/DA split), the same office handles a misdemeanor DWI and, if the charge is a felony, the felony version too. A firm that assumes the two-office model used in some other Texas counties will call the wrong division and misread how a case is screened. Intake, diversion approval, and trial assignment all live under one roof here, organized by division.
The license case runs on a faster clock than the criminal case. A Denton County DWI is really two proceedings at once: the criminal case in the county criminal court and a separate administrative case over the driver's license at SOAH. The administrative track moves first and fast: the driver has 15 days from the arrest to request an ALR hearing, and where a suspension is in play, a separate petition for an Occupational Driver's License can let a person keep driving to work, school, and treatment (typically with SR-22 insurance and an ignition interlock) while the criminal case is pending. That 15-day ALR deadline is the first hard deadline after an arrest, and it has nothing to do with the criminal courthouse, which is exactly why it is easy to miss.
On a first offense, the realistic dismissal path is discretionary. Denton County has no published blanket first-offense reduction policy. For a qualifying first-time offender, the route to a dismissal generally runs through the DA's Pre-Trial Diversion Program, and successful completion carries eligibility to expunge the arrest. Because the DA approves admission at its own discretion, positioning a case for that program from the outset can matter more than any single early hearing, and a defendant who does not know the program exists cannot ask for it.
North Texas cases can cross county lines. Denton County borders Collin County to the east and Dallas and Tarrant counties to the south, and some cities (Frisco most notably) straddle the county line. A single stop, or a defendant's prior record, can pull in more than one county's courts at once, so it is worth knowing early whether a matter is confined to Denton or reaches a neighboring courthouse. And because felony DWI is handled on the trial-ready district-court track, its early filings (jury-punishment elections, motions to suppress, and related trial preparation) look different from a misdemeanor's from the very first setting.
Attorneys who appear here
Profiles of the Lance Kennedy Law attorneys who handle Denton County cases appear here: name, bar admission, any board-certification notes, and Denton County experience.
[Attorney profile pending]
[Attorney profile pending]
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Charges we defend in Denton County
We defend the full range of criminal and DWI matters in the Denton County courts, including:
QWhich court will my Denton County DWI case be in?▾
A misdemeanor DWI is heard in one of the five Denton County Criminal Courts at Law (No. 1 through No. 5) in the Denton County Courts Building. A felony DWI is prosecuted in one of the county's district courts (and, because the county criminal courts carry concurrent jurisdiction over intoxication offenses by indictment, a felony DWI can sometimes be heard in a county criminal court as well). Your exact court appears on your court-notice paperwork and in the county's online case search.
QDoes the DA or a County Attorney prosecute a DWI in Denton County?▾
The Denton County Criminal District Attorney prosecutes it. Denton uses a single, unified office; there is no separate County Attorney handling criminal cases. The DA's Misdemeanor Trial Division handles misdemeanor DWI; its Felony Trial Division handles felony DWI.
QIs there a diversion program for a first DWI in Denton County?▾
Yes. The DA's Pre-Trial Diversion Program is the usual route for an eligible first-time offender. Successful completion results in dismissal of the case and eligibility to expunge the arrest. Admission is decided case by case and is at the DA's discretion; it is not guaranteed.
QHow fast do I have to act on my driver's license after a DWI arrest?▾
Quickly. You have only 15 days from the date of arrest to request an ALR hearing from Texas DPS. Miss that window and your license is automatically suspended. The license case is separate from the criminal case and moves on its own timeline through SOAH.
QCan a first-offense DWI be dismissed in Denton County?▾
Some cases resolve in dismissal, for example through successful completion of the DA's Pre-Trial Diversion Program, or on the merits or the evidence. But whether any particular case can be dismissed depends entirely on its facts, and no lawyer can promise that result.
QIs the DWI Treatment Court a way to get my case dismissed?▾
No, not by itself. Denton's DWI Treatment Court is a probation-based program for select repeat, high-risk DWI offenders, with intensive supervision and treatment. It is a condition of probation, not a diversion-to-dismissal track, and it is aimed at repeat offenders rather than first offenses. First-offense dismissal generally runs through the Pre-Trial Diversion Program instead.
QWhere is the courthouse and where do I park?▾
The Denton County Courts Building is at 1450 E. McKinney St. in Denton. Free visitor parking is available in the surrounding surface lots, but spaces near the entrance fill up before morning dockets. Arrive early to clear security screening before your setting.
QWhat should I bring and wear?▾
Bring a photo ID, all of your case paperwork, and your attorney's contact information, and arrive early for screening. Dress neatly and conservatively; business or business-casual attire is expected in the courtrooms.
Frisco sits on the Denton–Collin County line, so our Frisco office is the closest to the Denton County Courts Building. If you have been arrested in Denton County, call for a free case review or contact us online.
Other courthouse guides
Collin County Courthouse Guide: The criminal courts of Collin County (McKinney), Denton's North Texas neighbor. Link pending.
Travis County (Austin) Courthouse Guide: The criminal courts of Travis County. Read the guide
Williamson County Courthouse Guide: The criminal courts of Williamson County (Georgetown). Link pending.
Bexar County (San Antonio) Courthouse Guide: The criminal courts of Bexar County. Link pending.
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If authorities arrested you or a family member in Austin, here are some key steps to consider:
Exercise your right to remain silent. Avoid discussing your case with anyone except your lawyer.
Request an attorney immediately. If you can’t afford one, ask for a court-appointed lawyer.
Contact a family member or trusted friend to inform them of your situation.
Do not resist arrest or argue with law enforcement, even if you believe the arrest is unjustified.
Remember details about your arrest, including officer names and badge numbers if possible.
Attend your arraignment, where you’ll be informed of charges and can enter a plea.
Gather relevant documents and information for your case.
Follow all court orders and attend all scheduled hearings.
Consider contacting a bail bondsman if bail is set and you need assistance posting it.
Contact Lance Kennedy Law for a free consultation about potential defense strategies and the next steps in your case.
Whether you should plead guilty or not guilty is a serious legal decision that requires careful consideration of the specific details of your case. This choice can have major consequences for your future.
The best course of action is to consult criminal defense attorney Lance Kennedy, who can review the evidence, charges, and circumstances of your case. I’ll examine your case at no cost, advise you on the potential outcomes of different pleas, and help you make an informed decision. Contact Lance Kennedy Law as soon as possible so we can get started on your case.
Three things: Contact a criminal defense lawyer in your county and then call a bail bondsman to see about getting your friend or family member released.
Tell your friend or family member not to answer any questions about the incident and to ask for a lawyer, which should stop any police questioning.
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