Drug Charge Defense in Collin County

This page covers drug cases in Collin County: where they are heard, who prosecutes them and the local programs the county and its prosecutors run. Our office is in downtown Dallas at 325 N St. Paul Street; we handle cases in the Collin County courts. For Texas-wide law, see our drug charges guide, and for other charges see the Collin County criminal defense page.

Which courts hear drug cases in Collin County?

Misdemeanor drug cases in Collin County go to the County Courts at Law, numbered 1 through 7, and felony drug cases go to the district courts, including the 199th, 219th, 296th, 366th, 380th, 401st and 416th District Courts. All are at the Russell A. Steindam Courts Building, 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney.

Who prosecutes drug cases in Collin County?

The Collin County Criminal District Attorney's Office prosecutes drug cases. As elsewhere, the lab report often sets the charge level, and plea offers may wait until the lab result is in.

What happens after a drug arrest in Collin County?

After a drug arrest, booking is at the Collin County Detention Facility, 4300 Community Ave., McKinney, where a magistrate sets bond. Random drug testing is a common bond condition, and a positive or missed test can put the bond at risk.

What drug programs does Collin County run?

Collin County has drug courts at both levels. The Office of Court Administration's specialty court registry lists a Felony Drug Court in the 401st District Court and an adult drug court in Collin County Court at Law No. 7 for misdemeanors. The Collin County Criminal District Attorney's pretrial diversion program, called Burden to Blessing, is voluntary and requires an admission of guilt and a defense attorney. Under the office's published guidelines, applicants generally should have no prior adult felony conviction or violent misdemeanor conviction, and the application is due within 30 days of retaining or being appointed an attorney or the first court appearance. Drug possession is not among the guideline's excluded categories, but eligibility is decided case by case, and weapons or DWI-related cases are excluded. Before choosing a program, it is worth checking whether the stop and search can be challenged, because a suppressed search can end the case outright.

What Texas drug law applies?

Most drug possession cases are charged under the Health and Safety Code chapter 481, and the level depends on the penalty group and the weight. For example, possessing less than one gram of a Penalty Group 1 substance is a state jail felony (Health and Safety Code 481.115). Marijuana possession of two ounces or less is a Class B misdemeanor (481.121). Charges can rise with larger amounts, a drug-free zone or an allegation of intent to deliver.

Common defense issues include whether the stop and search were legal, whether the substance was actually tested and weighed by a lab, and whether the State can prove you knowingly possessed it. Programs such as pretrial diversion and drug court can lead to a dismissal or a lighter outcome, but eligibility rules differ from county to county.

How is Penalty Group 1 possession graded?

What should I do now?

• Keep every drug test and court date set as a bond condition.
• Write down how the stop and search happened: the reason given, whether you consented and who was present.
• Do not discuss the case on recorded jail calls or social media.
• Ask about program eligibility early, since some programs screen out people with prior supervision.

How do I get started?

The first consultation is free. It is with a Director of Client Engagement, not an attorney. Clients who hire us work with an attorney. Call (214) 239-2013 or start a chat. Phones and chat are answered 24/7, with AI covering when no staff is free.

Last updated October 2026