Collin County DWI

If arrested anywhere in Collin County for a charge of Driving While Intoxicated, the following information will help you go over how DWI cases proceed throughput the court system to help prepare what may lie ahead. It is important you have a Collin County DWI Defense Attorney with you, who is familiar with the court system, can help guide you through the process, and will do everything possible to help prepare you to mount the best defense possible. If your DWI is NOT a felony, the case should be filed in one of the County Courts in Collin County.

There are six Collin County (County Courts) at Law. They are listed below, and be found by utilizing the following links:

Possible Writ Bond Hearing

It may be required that you appear in court the Monday following the expiration of 7 days from your arrest date. This is done when you are released on a Writ Bond from jail. This is required because, essentially, a Writ Bond bypasses the need when you are released from jail of seeing a magistrate judge.  

Therefore, this court appearance is where you will appear before a judge who will ask permission to look at your criminal record. It is done to determine whether or not you will be required to have ignition interlock installed on your vehicle as a condition of bond.  Once permission to review the driving record is granted, the judge will look for any prior DWI cases. The Texas law requires that anyone charged with a prior DWI offense to have a deep-lung device installed on their vehicle while waiting for their case to be filed before they will be required to appear in court.

Collin County DWi Charge

Please call The Law Offices of Carl David Ceder at 214.702.CARL(2275), immediately for an exceptionally trained Collin County Criminal Defense, DWI Defense. Collin County is known for being tough on crime, perhaps the toughest in the entire State of Texas. It is important, therefore, to work with an attorney and a Law Office that you can trust. Carl has experienced a wide range of success in Collin County, and his office works in all of the courts in McKinney on a regular basis. The Law Offices of Carl David Ceder welcomes every opportunity to help guide those in need of assistance with any legal matter arising in or around Collin County. Collin County encompasses Richardson, Plano, McKinney, Carrollton, Celina, Sallas, Fairview, Frisco, Garland, Lucas, Melissa, Murphy, Nevada, New Hope, Prosper, Richardson, St. Paul, Westminster, Weston, Wylie.

Collin County Settings

It usually will take anywhere from 30-60 days to final formal criminal charges against someone who was arrested for a DWI in Collin County. When it is time for you to appear in court, you will receive a letter by mail with the court details about your DWI case. Your appearance date is usually around 14-21 days from the date on your letter. The first court appearance is to go over the details about your DWI case:

  • Will you be to showing up for court or jump your bail?
  • Have you hired an attorney yet?
  • Or will you be representing yourself?
  • Or will you be applying for a court appointed attorney? If you decide to apply for a court appointed attorney, the judge will decide whether or not you qualify to receive a court appointed attorney based on your financial information. If it is decided you qualify for a court appointed attorney, you will be given their information and told that the attorney should contact you within three business days.

If you have already retained a Collin County DWI Attorney, your attorney will appear with you at the first court appearance to sign-up as your “Attorney of Record” and will begin the investigation process.

The Collin County court has six County Judges handling DWI cases. It is obvious; each judge has their own procedures and rules that must be followed during the court session. 

Each of the Collin County courts will allow two different settings for investigation, and by the third setting they will want you to appear in court. The court will want to know whether you will dispose of your case by a jury trial or give a guilty plea. Your Collin County DWI Defense Attorney, should have received all police reports and videotapes of your arrest by the time of the court appearance. Your attorney should then meet with you to review and go over what information was found and give you your options for your case.

Your next court appearance may be to ask for more time until the investigation is reviewed and completed. At this appearance, you may be allowed one more reset or if you decided to give up or fight, you can inform the court and ask for a time for the final disposition. If you choose to plead guilty, your case can be concluded at that particular court appearance.

If you decided to send your case for trial, the first trial date will be about 2-3 months later and must appear at all court dates for your case. When it is your trial date, you need to understand that the court will have five or more other DWI cases on trial the same day. It is because it will allow people to change their minds or have plea bargain offers to settle the case. It is important to know, your case may be set for trial 2-4 times and you will have to appear to find out if your case is selected.

There are some Collin County courts that have set cases for a pre-trial before the actual trial date. You must appear at all pre-trial settings with your Collin County DWI Defense Attorney. At that time, the court will determine which DWI cases will precede to trial the following week. If your case is selected, your trial may start on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the scheduled of the court. There is a possibility that you may be selected and ordered to appear at a future pretrial and trial date. Your attorney must prepare for trial at all pre-trial/trial appearances just in case. It is hard to be patient, and it is important to realize that your case may be set 2-3 times before you ever proceed to trial.

If you are convicted of a DWI, either by a guilty plea or if you lost your trial, you will most likely be placed on probation anywhere from 12 to 24 months. It may not be the same time frame, if you have a prior criminal record or a prior DWI conviction.

You will be asked to fill out a personal information sheet asking you to list your address, personal references, work information and other important information about yourself. Next, you will have to wait at the court’s collections department to find out if you will be paying all fines or if you need to have payment program set-up.

You will then proceed to the probation department for an orientation. They will review the conditions of your probation and will provide resources so you can successfully complete your program.

Collin County does not offer reductions on DWI cases, which means the only way to keep your record clean is to go to trial with the goal of winning your case with your Collin County DWI Attorney representing you. Once your case has won, you may file a suit for the expunction or destruction of all records relating to your stop, incarceration and prosecution of your case; as if it were never to have happened.

Contact Us Now

Contact a Collin County DWI Attorney from the Law Offices of Carl David Ceder Visit: www.texasdwidefender.com or call: 214.702.CARL(2275) or 469.2000.DWI(394). You can also e-mail Carl directly, at Carl@CederLaw.com; or to the office for general inquiries at Info@DFWDefenders.com. Phones should be answered 24 hours a day/7 days a week for immediate and prompt assistance. E-mail messages will try to be responded to with 24-48 hours, depending on whether Carl and his team is in trial and/or is busy working on a case for a contested hearing..