"STRIVING TO MAKE AN IMPACT"

Arraignment

The date at the bottom of your citation is you're due date or Court Arraignment date.  It is a date in which you will appear before the Municipal Judge and make a plea of guilty or not guilty.  This date is usually on a Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. or Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

If your pleading NOT GUILTY, you will appear before the Judge and he will let you speak to the Assistant Prosecutor before you are given a trial date. 

If your pleading GUILTY or NOLO CONTENDERE you may request one of these options:

• PAYMENT IN FULL

You can pay your citation in full on or before your arraignment date. At this time you will need to bring your pink copy of the citation and sign the back with your payment. The payment can be check, money order or cash. A receipt will be given to you at time of your payment.

You can also mail your payment in. If you are mailing the payment, it must be post marked by the arraignment date, (due date) at the bottom of your citation. Please sign the back of the pink copy making your plea and mail with your payment. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL. You may request a receipt of your payment by including a note stating so. If we do not receive such note we will not mail back a receipt.

• PAYMENT PLAN

In order to request a payment plan you must appear in person on or before your arraignment date and make your request. If the court grants the request you will be required to make your plea and sign the contract assuring your payments to the court. A $25.00 time payment plan fee will be added to each charge placed on the payment plan. You will receive a copy of the payment plan and this will need to be brought with you each time you make your payment. If you mail in you payment you must write the citation number on your check or money order in order for the court to process your payment.

• EXTENSION OF TIME TO PAY IN FULL

You must appear on or before your arraignment date to make a request to the court for an extension of time to pay your fine. If the court accepts your request, you will be required to sign an extension form and this form must be returned with your payment on the new date given.

• CLICK BELOW FOR:

PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD

Defensive Driving

You may request defensive driving to take care of your citation.  This can be done either in person or by mail.  The requirements are as follows:

• You must have a Texas Drivers License
• You cannot have taken the course in the last 12 months for another citation
• You cannot be going in excess of 25 miles over the speed limit
• You will need to get a certified copy of your driving record from the Department of Public Safety, the form will be supplied by our court when you request the course.
• There is a fee you must pay the court assessed by the State.  The fee is as follows:
  • $ 111.10 All charges except Speeding School Zone violations
  • $ 136.10 Speeding school zone violation
• You must sign the affidavit on or attached to your ticket and that must be notarized.  It states that you have not taken the course in the last 12 months for another citation.  If you come in person this office has notaries that can notarize the affidavit for you.  If you mail this you must make sure that you get the form notarized or we CANNOT process your paperwork.
• You must show proof of Financial Responsibility
• You cannot have been charged with the following:
  • Fail to stop and render aid
  • Fleeing from a Police Officer
  • Reckless driving
  • A serious traffic violation under the CDL Law, Section 3(26).
  • An offense in a construction zone with workers present.
  • Fail to stop for a school bus

Once the court has processed your paperwork, you will have 90 days to complete the course and turn your proof of completion of defensive driving and your certified copy of your driving record into the court.  This proof will be required before we can dismiss your citation.

**If you are age 21 and under and would like to request DSC, you will need to appear on a Tuesday or Thursday at 2pm to request that from the Judge.

***You are NOT eligible for defensive driving or deferred if you hold a commercial drivers license.

Deferred Disposition

A deferred is a form of probation that you can request from the Judge.  There is a fee that is assessed and you can be put on anywhere from a 90 to 180 day probation period.  You cannot receive a citation during this probation period.  You may be required to take a defensive driving course on a moving violation.  The Judge can assess other requirements during this probation period.

Dismissal with Correction of Charge

If you have received a citation for the following, you can request dismissal of these with proof of correction.  Some will require a dismissal fee, please note the ones that have the fee.

• Equipment Violations, i.e. headlights, taillights, turn signals, etc. -$10.00 Dismissal Fee
• Expired License Plates - $ 20.00 Dismissal Fee- *Registration penalty fee has to be paid at the tax office in order to have your Expired License Plate charge dismissed with the $20.00 Dismissal Fee at the court
• Expired MVI Sticker - $ 20.00 Dismissal Fee
• Expired Drivers License - $ 20.00 Dismissal Fee
• Fail to Report Change of Address\Name - $20.00 Dismissal Fee

*Please Note:  Dismissal fees CANNOT be paid online by credit card.  You can pay in person with check, cash or money order, or via mail or drop box with check or money order.

Financial Responsibility (Liability Insurance)

If you receive a citation for fail to provide proof of financial responsibility, you will need to bring your proof to the Municipal Court.  You must have had financial responsibility at the time you received the citation.  When you show proof to the court, the clerk will call the insurance company to verify proof, so please make sure your insurance company's phone number is on your card.  If you did not have insurance at the time but have since acquired insurance, you will need to bring that proof to the Judge and acceptance of that proof will be at the Judge's discretion.

Time Served

You may request time served if you have been incarcerated for the violation you have been charged with.  If you were arrested and released on a Promise to Appear, you must bring proof of your time in jail on that charge to the Judge on your arraignment date.  The Judge cannot grant time served without proof.