Misdemeanor Cases

 

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Justice Courts have original jurisdiction in Class C misdemeanor criminal cases punishable by fine only (no confinement). Hill County Justice Courts handle citations/tickets issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Game Wardens with Texas Parks and Wild Life Department, and the Hill County Sheriff's Office.

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Responding to a citation/ticket

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Your appearance date is noted on the citation/ticket. The law requires you (or your attorney) to make an appearance in your case, but there are different ways to do that. (If you choose to take advantage of one of the options below before your appearance date, your appearance in Court on the date shown on your citation will be waived or extended)

Failure to appear on the appearance date specified on the citation/ticket could result in a warrant being issued for your arrest. Therefore, contact the Court immediately if you are unable to appear on the date stated on your citation/ticket. You can reach us by emailing Justice Court, Pct 1, at cmalcomson@co.hill.tx.us or calling 254-694-3140 during normal business hours.

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Appearance Options

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• Pay online with a plea of guilty or no contest.

  • A plea form can be found on our Forms Page, once completed submitted your plea to the court along with the correct payment. You can submit your plea either in person, by mail, or by email. Payments are accepted in person, by mail (see the Methods of Payment Page), or through our online payment portal. If submitting a plea by email, you must scan your document to the computer (no pictures) and you MUST ATTACH a clear and decipherable picture of your driver's license or state issued ID.

  • For more information, please contact the court.

• Request a dismissal

  • If you have received a citation/ticket for a violation that meets the compliance dismissal requirements, you may be able to have that ticket dismissed by complying with the law in a timely manner and paying any fee designated by law at the time the dismissal is granted.

• Request to meet with the County Attorney

  • If you choose to plead Not Guilty, you will have an opportunity to speak with the prosecutor to discuss your case. To submit your plea and request, fill out the plea form in the Forms tab and email it to cmalcomson@co.hill.tx.us. Once received, the court will set your case on the pre-trial docket, and a notice will be sent from the court.

• Court Appearances

  • If you wish to enter a plea of guilty or no contest to the charge(s) and pay the fine(s), please visit our payment portal on the home page, or if you have any questions, contact the Court at 254-694-3140, during normal business hours. Otherwise, you can appear in person at the Justice Court Precinct 1, 5800 FM 933 Whitney, TX 76692.

• Juveniles

  • Justice courts have jurisdiction over juveniles (16 years or younger) charged with most Class C misdemeanor offenses. All juveniles are required to appear in open Court for all proceedings in their cases. Therefore, a Juvenile plea or payment WILL NOT be accepted online or by mail.