AUTHORIZATION FOR CITY OF DALLAS TRAFFIC TICKET

Information on Handling City of Dallas Traffic Ticket

                The attorney shall handle your ticket in the following manner: (1) If your ticket is in warrant status the attorney shall post an attorney bond within the next 4 working days; (2) the attorney shall set your case for trial; (3) the attorney shall appear with you at the trial setting, review the complaint; and (4) if you fail to appear, the attorney shall handle the ticket pursuant to this authorization.

                IF YOU HAVE NOT REQUESTED A COURT DATE WITHIN 60 DAYS OF RECEIVING YOUR CITATION, you will have to pay an OMNI fee in the sum of $30.00 to the City of Dallas.  This fee will have to be paid whether you plead guilty and a fine is obtained, if you receive deferred disposition probation or defensive driving school, or the case is dismissed without trial.  This fee is not supposed to be collected by the City if you go to trial on your case and you are found not guilty.  If you fail to pay this additional fee, the Department of Public Safety shall deny the renewal of your driver's license.

Defendant is Client

                The defendant is the client of our law firm.  Even if someone else pays our firm the legal fee, the only client is the defendant.  The attorney shall not discuss the case with anyone except if the client authorizes our firm to discuss the case with someone else.

Client's Responsibility

                If you receive any information or documents from the Court, it is your responsibility to contact our office immediately.  In some instances, the Court will send court date notices and/or documentation directly to the Defendant instead of sending it to the Attorney.  If you receive a notice from the Court and you fail to inform the Attorney, the Attorney shall not be held responsible for the consequences. Our office shall not supply the Court with a missing traffic ticket, and this may result in the following: (1) The case may never be filed and will never be set for trial, or (2) the Court may issue a warrant for your arrest, and if this happens, you must contact our office immediately.

COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE (CLASS "A" OR "B")

                Texas Law does not allow either deferred disposition probation or defensive driving school if you have a commercial driver's license.  It does not matter if you were driving a commercial vehicle or your personal vehicle at the time of the offense. The City of Dallas is not enforcing this law, but may do so at any time.   

Trial Setting

                On your trial date you must appear on time with your witnesses, if any. If the police officer fails to appear your case will either get dismissed or reset by the Judge. The Court will give the officer sixty to ninety minutes to appear in court.  If your case does not go to trial, your case will take approximately two hours and if you try your case, it could possibly take all day long.  If the police officer appears in Court, you can choose: (1) trial; (2) deferred disposition probation, if you are eligible; (3) defensive driving school, if you are eligible; or (4) plea of guilty.

Deferred Disposition Probation (Recommended by Attorney)

                Deferred disposition probation can be used to keep certain traffic tickets from going on your driving record and requires (1) that you pay between $125.00 and $200.00 for most moving violations and between $175.00 and $350.00 for no insurance tickets within thirty (30) to sixty (60) days of your trial setting; (2) that you must not receive a new moving traffic ticket or insurance ticket during the six (6) month probationary period which begins on the court date; (3) that you possibly may have to take the defensive driving school as a condition if your violation was for an excessive speed or if you are under 25 years of age; and (4) that you return all necessary paperwork to the Municipal Court timely. If you violate the terms of probation, you will have to appear in the Court for a show cause hearing and at that time the Judge shall determine if your probation should be revoked (adjudicated).  The attorney will not appear with you at this hearing, unless you have retained the services of the attorney to appear at the show cause hearing.  

Defensive Driving

                Defensive driving can possibly be used every twelve (12) months in order to keep certain traffic tickets from going on your driving record. The requirements include: (1) valid Texas driver's license; (2) proof of insurance at the time you are granted defensive driving, (3) completion of the course within ninety (90) days, (4) payment within thirty days of the court date of an administrative fee of approximately $103.00 or more, (5) probation for ninety (90) days, and (6) return of all necessary paperwork to the City of Dallas Municipal Court within one hundred twenty (120) days.  You may have to obtain a copy of your driving record from the Department of Public Safety for a fee of $10.00. You cannot obtain defensive driving school for the following tickets: speeding 25 miles over the limit, non-moving violation and no-insurance violation.

Insurance Offense

                If you had insurance on the date that you received the citation, you must supply my office with proof of the insurance within thirty (30) days of hiring our firm.  If you fail to supply our office with this proof, the attorney shall obtain deferred disposition probation for you.  Current insurance may be required as a condition of probation.  You must bring current insurance to Court on your court date or send us your current insurance proof.

Non-Moving Violations

                Some violations are considered to be non-moving violations and will not appear on your driving record.  These types of violations include inspection sticker, registration and seat belt (driver) violations.  If your case is not dismissed, the attorney may obtain either a fine or deferred disposition.

Client's Failure To Appear In Court

If you fail to timely appear in Court on your court date, the attorney will represent you according to the Authorization. If you fail to return the Authorization or if you fail to make a choice on how you want the attorney to handle your case and you fail to appear for your trial, the attorney shall request deferred disposition probation as the first option, if you are eligible, or if you are ineligible for deferred disposition probation the attorney shall request defensive driving school, if you are eligible.  If you are ineligible for either probation or school and fail to appear and the Attorney has posted a bond on your case, the Attorney shall obtain a fine on the case which shall result as a conviction on your driving record.

Resetting Your Case

                The attorney must give a good reason for resetting the case.  The reset is discretionary with the Judge and must be requested at least five (5) days before the court date unless there is an emergency. 

Non-Refundable Fixed Fees              

                All fees paid to the attorney are non-refundable fixed fees.

Legal Fees

                The legal fees for handling the ticket are as follows:  (1) handling ticket - to be discussed; (2) post appearance bond - $25.00; (2) returned check - $25.00; (3) resetting case in advance of the trial date - $75.00; (4) show cause hearing - fee to be discussed; (5) filing late deferred disposition probation payment or defensive driving school documents with Court - $100.00; and (6) rehandling ticket if case is dismissed and refiled - fee to be discussed.

                THE LAW IS ALWAYS CHANGING.  THE FINES AND COURT COSTS DESCRIBED HEREIN AND THE REQUIREMENTS MAY POSSIBLY CHANGE OVER TIME DUE TO THE FOLLOWING:  (1) CHANGES IN THE LAW; (2) THE JUDGE ON YOUR CASE CHANGING HIS OR HER OPINION OF THE LAW; AND (3) REPLACEMENT OF JUDGES THROUGH APPOINTMENT. YOUR FILE SHALL BE DESTROYED BY OUR FIRM WITHIN FIVE (5) YEARS AFTER YOUR CASE IS FINALIZED.