Responding To A Ticket
appearance:
It is required by law that you appear on your ticket “on-time.”- "On-Time," means the date found on your ticket (usually 10-30 days from the stop).
- You may call if you do not know your date or have questions.
- You may send a letter, fax, email or come to court directly or through online court.
- You must contact the court by the date on the ticket or earlier.
- You waive certain rights if you miss your date.
- You could be issued a warrant or have other action taken if you miss your date.
- If citation/ticket was issued through summons in the mail, your date is on the letter provided.
Requirements for appearing:
- Be on-time.
- You may choose to hire an attorney but are not required to.
- Photo ID is required, e.g. Driver’s License or State Issued ID.
- Juveniles (under age 17 at the time of the offense) must appear with a parent or legal guardian. Juveniles may be eligible for Teen Court.
- Attorneys will be required to present their Bar Card and ID.
- Attorneys are required to follow the Texas Rules of Procedure to the fullest extent.
- Dress Code requirements apply.
*You may wish to review your rights before you enter a plea.
When a person gives a plea, they are answering to the charge in the ticket or citation.
There are several options for entering a plea in a class C court: Guilty, Not Guilty or No Contest.
- Pleading “Not Guilty” will result in your case being set for a Pre-Trial with the Prosecutor. You can request a trial by Jury. In some cases, you may also ask that your trial be only to the Judge. See Options.
- Pleading “Guilty” or “No Contest” means you are subject to being found guilty and being sentenced. The item may be reflected on your driving or criminal record.
- Paying your fine means you are entering a plea of “No Contest.”
A sentence is the consequence imposed upon a person if they are subject to being found guilty. Class-C offenses are usually fine-only cases.
There are several options for sentencing.
- Paying your fine means you are entering a plea of “No Contest.”
- You may enter a plea and in some cases request:
- Dismissal through proper completion of a Driver’s Safety Course option
- Dismissal through a Deferred Disposition
- Dismissal by providing compliance documentation, where applicable
- Dismissal through Teen Court
To review these, see Options.