How Long Do Criminal Cases Take in Texas?

Travis County Misdemeanor Timelines

Travis County misdemeanor cases in the Courts at Law at Blackwell-Thurman typically resolve in 3 to 12 months from arrest to final disposition. First-offense DWI cases with straightforward facts resolve toward the shorter end. Cases with contested Fourth Amendment issues, BAC evidence challenges, or SFST disputes take longer because they require suppression hearings before any plea or trial. Cases that proceed to trial take the longest.

Travis County Felony Timelines

Felony cases in the Travis County District Courts at Blackwell-Thurman typically take 6 months to 2 years or longer. After arrest, the case must be presented to a Travis County grand jury for indictment before proceeding in District Court. Grand jury presentation typically occurs within 90 to 120 days of arrest. After indictment, the case proceeds through pretrial hearings, motion practice, and ultimately trial or plea.

What Affects the Timeline

Several factors significantly affect how long a Travis County criminal case takes:

• Evidence complexity — cases with body camera footage, blood test results, or multiple witnesses take longer to investigate fully
• Suppression motions — Fourth Amendment challenges require briefing and a hearing before the trial court
• Court docket backlog — Travis County courts carry significant dockets; scheduling depends on availability of courtrooms and judges
• Prosecution preparation — the Travis County Attorney’s or DA’s office may request continuances for additional investigation
• Trial — a contested trial typically adds months to the timeline

The ALR Proceeding Runs on a Separate Timeline

For DWI cases, the Administrative License Revocation proceeding before the State Office of Administrative Hearings runs completely separately from the criminal case. ALR hearings are typically scheduled 60 to 120 days after the hearing request. The criminal case and the ALR proceeding run simultaneously. Our Austin DWI attorneys manage both timelines from day one.

Why Length Matters for Your Defense

A longer timeline is not necessarily bad. It provides more time for evidence preservation, discovery review, and suppression motion preparation. Cases that rush to resolution often leave defense opportunities unexplored. The right timeline is the one that allows the defense to be fully prepared, not the shortest available.