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Pleas Deferred Disposition Dismissals Driver’s Safety How to Pay
Pleas
You will be requested to enter a plea on your case during your court appearance. The following are the available pleas:

Plea of No Contest

A plea of no contest means that you are not contesting the State’s charge(s) against you. You will be found guilty of the offense, waiving your right to a trial, and should be prepared to pay the fine.

Plea of Guilty

By a plea of guilty, you admit that the act is prohibited by law and that you committed the act charged. A plea of guilty waives your right to trial and you should be prepared to pay the fine.

Plea of Not Guilty

A plea of not guilty means that you deny guilt and the State is required to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. A plea of not guilty does not waive any of your rights. A plea of not guilty does not prevent a plea of guilty or no contest at a later time. Please read below for the Van Alstyne Municipal Court process when a not guilty plea is entered:
  • The Van Alstyne Municipal Court strives to ensure the rights of all defendants are upheld. To enter a plea of not guilty you must appear in open court on your scheduled court date. During this hearing you will identify yourself to the court by stating your name, the judge will advise you of the charges against you, and you then enter your plea. When a not guilty plea is entered the judge will place your case on the pre-trial docket. During your pre-trial you will discuss your case with the prosecuting attorney and all available trial options. Trial will be scheduled after the conclusion of the pre-trial process.
Deferred Disposition
The court may, at its sole discretion, defer disposition on your case. The fine must be paid in addition to a $40 administrative fee. If you complete the required terms, the case is dismissed at the end of a period of 90 days.

You may request deferred disposition for:
  • Moving violations and you were not charged with driving 25 miles or more over the speed limit
  • You were not driving over 95 miles per hour
  • You do not have a CDL license
  • You are not currently on deferred disposition with this court
  • You were not charged with speeding in a construction zone
Note: If you are under the age of 25, you will be required to turn in a certificate showing you completed a Texas Driver’s Safety Course during your 90 day deferral period.

If you request deferred disposition, and the court approves it you will be placed on a probationary period for 90 days in the city of Van Alstyne. At the end of the 90 day period if you have not received any additional citations your case will be dismissed and never reported to your driver’s record. If you receive an additional citation during your deferral period, you will be required to appear at a show cause hearing to speak with the judge. If you fail to appear at the show cause hearing, both citations will be reported as convictions on your driver’s record.
Dismissals
Dismissal Options

Certain charges are eligible to be dismissed completely or dismissed for a small dismissal fee.

Expired DL, Fail to Update DL

The failure to display a driver’s license offense will be dismissed if you present evidence of a DL valid at the time of the offense. Expired DL cases will be dismissed if remedied within 20 days of citation and payment of $10.

Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility (No Insurance)

Citations for no insurance will be dismissed without a fee if you present evidence of insurance valid at the time of the offense to the court and the court is able to verify the coverage.

Registration

The court may dismiss an expired vehicle inspection charge if the defect is remedied within 10 days of the citation, the registration has been expired less than 60 days, all late registration fees were paid to the county, and a $10 fee is paid to the court.
Driver’s Safety
If you are charged with a moving offense and do not have a CDL license, you may be eligible to take a driver’s safety course to dismiss the charge.

Before you complete the driver’s safety course you must:
  1. Enter a plea of guilty or no contest
  2. Pay $144 in administrative fees for a regular zone, pay $169 in fees for a school zone
  3. Provide proof of insurance
  4. Provide a valid Texas Driver’s License or an active duty military ID
  5. Have not committed one of the following offenses:
  • Fail to give information at an accident scene — leaving the scene of an accident
  • Passing a school bus
  • Offense occurred while driving a commercial vehicle
  • Offense occurred in a construction zone where workers were present
  • Driving 25 or more miles over the posted speed limit
  • Have not completed driver’s safety for dismissal of a citation within 12 months
After you complete the above you will be given 90 days to complete the class and provide the court with:
  1. The court copy of the certificate from completion. You may complete any driving safety course that has been approved by the Texas Education Agency
  2. A certified copy of your driving record from the Department of Public Safety. You may obtain this from the State of Texas website. Type 3A is the required copy needed by the court.
  3. A signed and notarized affidavit stating that you are not currently taking driver’s safety for another court, or have taken a driver’s safety course that is not shown on your driver’s record.

Failure to Complete Driver’s Safety

If you do not take the course within the required 90 days and/or fail to present the court with any of the required documents, the court will schedule you for a show cause hearing. The show cause hearing will provide you an opportunity to explain to the judge why you failed to fulfill the requirements. The judge may, but is not required to, allow you to file the proper papers at that time. If you fail to appear at your show cause hearing it will result in a conviction, a fine will be assessed, and a warrant for your arrest will be issued.
How to Pay
Payments for traffic fines, court costs, and warrant fees may be made to the Van Alstyne Municipal Court in several different ways. Please see the options below and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the court clerk on duty at 903-482-5251.

Note: If your case requires you to appear in person before the judge you must appear in person before paying your fines. See court appearances for additional information.

ONLINE Payments

Before paying your citation online you need to determine if you are eligible.
  • Any person under the age of 17 must appear in court before the judge in person with a parent or legal guardian. Online payments will be rejected and you will lose your payment fees. Additionally, any defendant charged with a status offense must appear in person. Status offenses are those offenses that are only illegal because of the defendant’s age at the time of the offense, such as: Minor in possession of alcohol, minor in possession of tobacco, minor in consumption of alcohol, etc.
Want to Defer your citation or complete a Driver’s Safety Course for Dismissal of your citation?

You will need to determine if you are eligible for these options prior to paying your citation. You may check your eligibility online, review the Municipal Court brochure, or contact the court. You will be responsible for paying the appropriate amount for the option you choose plus the payment fees. Failure to pay the correct amount may result in your request being denied by the court.

Plea and Waivers
  • By making a payment on your citation you are entering a plea of no contest, waiving your right to a jury trial, and waiving your right to discovery.
  • DO NOT pay online if you would like to plea not guilty on your citation.
Phone Payments

Payments may be made by phone for a $5.00 processing fee to 5% processing fee. The court accepts Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Payments by Mail
  • Cashier’s Check or Money Order may be mailed to the court for payment of your fines. The court does not accept personal checks.
  • Payments or other correspondence may be mailed to the court at P.O. Box 247, Van Alstyne, TX 75495.
Paying in Person
  • Payments for traffic fines, court costs, and warrant fees can be made in person with cash, cashier’s check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express with a 5% processing fee.
  • Payments in person should be made at 242 N. Preston Ave., Van Alstyne, TX 75495.
Warrant Payments
  • Warrants over 60 days old may be paid through the collection agency at 866-955-5455.
  • The court will accept payment in full only for these cases; however, for payment arrangements, you must contact the collection agency.
  • Before submitting your payment please contact the court for the total amount due on your cases.
  • Warrants less than 60 days old may be paid directly through the court.
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