Municipal Court
Tioga Municipal Court is a limited jurisdiction court serving the citizens of the City of Tioga, Texas. The Court has jurisdiction over traffic violations, parking citations and local ordinances that include shoplifting, disturbances, assaults, code violations, animal violation and domestic violence matters. The Municipal Court Judge and Court Clerk are appointed by the City Council.
Presiding Judge: Deborah Hale
Court Clerk: Donna Carney
The Tioga Municipal Court is located at 600 Main Street, Tioga, Texas. The Mailing address is P.O. Box 206, Tioga, Texas 76271.
Office hours: Monday-Friday 8 AM to 5PM
Your Court Date can be found on the citation you received. Please call 940-437-2351 if you have any questions regarding your court appearance or fine amounts.
Please note that while you are welcome to contact the court by telephone with questions regarding your court appearance, you are NOT able to settle any court matter by telephone. You MUST APPEAR IN PERSON OR BY ATTORNEY in order to enter a plea or request a compliance dismissal, driver’s safety course or deferred disposition.
JUVENILES (UNDER THE AGE OF 17) ARE REQUIRED TO APPEAR IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE IN OPEN COURT WITH A PARENT OR GUARDIAN. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THE COURT WITH A CORRECT MAILING ADDRESS.
PLEAS. You must enter a plea to each charge. You may enter one of the following pleas:
1. Guilty – You admit that you committed the unlawful act.
2. No Contest – You do not contest the charge(s) against you. This plea will have the same effect as a plea of Guilty but cannot be used against you in pending/future civil litigation.
3. Not Guilty – You deny any guilt of the offense and have a defense in your case. Upon entering this plea, you must request either a jury or a bench trial (trial before the Judge). Your case will be set for pre-trial hearing, after which a trial date will be set and you or your attorney will be notified by letter. You do not have to be represented by an attorney, but it is your responsibility to seek legal advice or services. You need to check with the Court Clerk to make sure the Court has your correct mailing address.
PAYMENTS OF FINES
To pay the fine in full, simply enter a plea of guilty or no contest. If you are mailing your plea and payment, it must be paid or postmarked prior to the court date indicated on the ticket.
You may also pay your citation online:
The Court accepts cash, money orders, cashier’s checks and debit and credit cards for the payment of fines and fees. No Personal Checks Accepted. Debit and Credit card payments made in person or by telephone are subject to a 4% convenience fee. A processing fee will also apply to all online payments.
PAYMENT PLANS, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND INDIGENCY. If you are unable to pay the fines, court costs and fees assessed, you may request alternate methods of satisfying the judgment including payment plans and community service. If you are claiming indigence, we will set a date for an indigency hearing and you can bring any and all evidence to support your claim.
COMPLIANCE DISMISSALS may be obtained for certain offenses.
1. Failure to maintain proof of financial responsibility. This violation shall be dismissed upon proof that valid financial responsibility (insurance) was in effect at the time and on the date the violation was alleged.
2. Expired registration. This violation may be dismissed if within 20 working days after the date of the offense or before a defendant’s first court date the Defendant remedies the defect and shows proof of payment of the late registration fee to the county. Only the Judge can dismiss the violation if the registration was expired for more than 60 days. A $20 fee will be charged.
3. Expired Driver’s License. This violation may be dismissed if within 20 working days after the date of the offense or before a defendant’s first court date the Defendant remedies the defect and shows proof of such to the Court. A $20 fee will be charged.
DEFERRED DISPOSITION includes probationary periods ranging from 0-180 days. This time frame is set by the Judge. Deferred can be requested for almost any violation you wish to keep off of your record. As part of the Judgment, you must pay the fine, court costs, and a deferral fee of $35.00 at the time the request is made. If you successfully complete all the elements of the deferred disposition agreement, the violation will be dismissed and not be reported as part of your record. If you are under 25 years of age, and requesting deferred disposition for a traffic offense, you will be required to take a driver’s safety course and return the certificate of completion to the court as a condition for deferred. If you do not complete the probationary period successfully, which may include returning a certificate of completion from a driver’s safety course to the court by a certain date, a judgment of guilty will be entered and the Court will report the violation as part of your driving record, if applicable.
A DRIVERS SAFETY COURSE is a 6 hour course that can be taken in a class session, via Internet, or home video. In order to be eligible for a driver’s safety course, defendants must make a request in writing before their court date, should not have completed the course within the past 12 months, not currently be taking the Course, not going over 25 MPH over the post speed limit, must have a valid Texas driver’s license (CDL holders are not allowed to take driver’s safety courses for ticket dismissal) and proof of insurance.
To make a request for a driver’s safety course:
1. You must enter a written plea of guilty or no contest and “request driver’s safety course”,
2. Provide the Court with a copy of Driver’s License and proof of insurance, and
3. Pay the applicable fee along with your request.
You have 90 days from the day of request to provide the court with certificate of completion from a State approved course and a copy of your driving record from the Texas Department of Public Safety. If those two documents are returned to the Court within the mandated time frame, the Court will not report the violation as part of your driving record. In the event you do not complete the course and/or return all of the required documents to the Court by the due date, a judgment of guilty will be entered, the Court will report the violation as part of your driving record, and the amount of the fine will be due to the Court.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Court Security and Rules – Persons entering the courtroom are subject to search.
Absolutely no weapons of any sort shall be allowed.
No large handbags, suitcases or backpacks are allowed unless necessary for presentation of evidence.
No use of tobacco products or substitute tobacco products.
Cell phones must be turned off.
Dress Code for Court Appearance – Everyone must dress appropriately while in the court.
No shorts
No mini-skirts
No shirts with foul language or inappropriate printing
No tank tops
No torn, oily or dirty clothing
No hats (men only)
Call the Court Clerk at 940-437-2351 prior to your court date to request a reset of your court appearance to a different date. You are allowed to reset your appearance date one time only. You must speak to the Clerk and receive verbal consent of the change in court date. Leaving a voice mail or email does not constitute a request for a reset.