City of Odessa - Municipal Court: Municipal Court

Citations

Issuing Agencies

Your Rights

The issuance of a citation does not necessarily mean you are guilty of the offense charged. You have the right to enter a plea of not guilty, post a bond, and request a jury trial or to have the case heard by a Municipal Court Judge, however, the Judge cannot discuss the case with you until you have entered a plea of guilty, nolo contendere, or your case is presented at trial. You have the right to have an attorney represent you. You have the right to call witnesses on your behalf. You have the right not to testify at trial.

Plea Options -[ Display Plea Options ]-

Plea of Guilty / No-Contest:

You may decide to pay violation fine(s) and costs on the ticket. The amount you owe will be known by the public window staff in Municipal Court. You may inquire as to the fine amount by calling (432) 335-3300, or by visiting the court at 201 N. Grant.

Paying by Mail: You may pay your traffic ticket by mail. Make your check payable to "City of Odessa", and include your ticket number somewhere on your payment. Please note you will need to affix the proper postage to the envelope before mailing. The payment must reach the Court within fourteen (14) days of when the citation was issued, therefore you should mail it far enough in advance to ensure adequate time for delivery by the Post Office.

Appear in person, at the Court, within fourteen (14) days. If you decide to pay your fine(s) [instead of exercising any of these other options], but you cannot pay the fine(s) all at once, you may be given a 30 day extension. Information is available from the public window staff.

If you qualify, you have the right to take a driving safety course commonly known as defensive driving and have a pending violation dismissed. Information may be obtained from the public window staff. Request for Defensive Driving must be made in person or received in writing within the appearance period.

You may also be eligible for "deferred adjudication", a short-term, informal probation. This program allows you to pay the amount of the violation (fine and costs) and have the violation dismissed if you successfully complete your probation. You may also be required to take a driving safety course as required by state law and as a condition of your probation. You could also be required to fulfill other terms and conditions of probation, depending on the circumstances of your case. The judge has final authority as to any terms and conditions of probation. Request of Deferred Adjudication must be made in person or received in writing within the appearance period.

Plea of Not Guilty:

Appear in person, at the Court, within fourteen (14) days. You may set the ticket for trial and require the State to prove the charges against you. Information regarding this option may be obtained from the public window staff. A case may be set for trial by making arrangements at the court during business hours.

-[ Hide Plea Options ]-

Failure to Appear:

When you receive a ticket (citation), you sign a statement that you promise to appear at Municipal Court within 14 days of the date the citation was issued. Failure to appear in Court will result in the issuance of a warrant for your arrest and send your fines to a collection agency. Also a possible suspension of your Drivers License and a block on your registration.