Municipal Court



 LEGAL ADVICE/PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS
Judge Beth Smith, including staff, cannot give legal advice nor do they have the authority to dismiss a citation. The judge cannot discuss the merits of a pending judicial proceeding prior to trial, Cannon 3(5), Code of Judicial Conduct, if a plea of not guilty is entered. This means the judge cannot discuss your citation with you, unless a plea of no contest or guilty is entered.

Clerical staff is available to discuss procedural questions only.

PLEAS

Under our American system of justice, all persons are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. On a plea of not guilty, a formal trial is held. As in all criminal trials, the state is required to prove the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt of the offense charged in the complaint before a defendant can be found guilty by a judge or jury.

Your decision concerning which plea to enter is very important. Please consider each plea carefully before making a decision. If you plead guilty or nolo contendere (no contest), you should be prepared to pay the fine and court costs.

Before entering your plea, you should understand the following:
  • The state has the burden of proving that you violated the law (the law does not require that you prove you did not violate the law)
  • You have the right to hear the state’s evidence and to require the state to prove you violated the law
  • A plea of guilty may be used against you later in a civil suit if there was a traffic accident (another party can say you were at fault or responsible for the accident because you plead guilty to the traffic charges)

PAYMENT METHODS

The City of Buda Municipal Court offers the following payment methods for your convenience

  • Cash
  • Check (Personal or Business)
  • Money Order
  • Credit Card - MasterCard/Visa in Person ($2.75 fee)
  • Installment Payment Plan (Utilizing 1-4 above)

PAYMENTS ONLINE

Buda Municipal Court also has online payment options at  https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/budatx/court/search

Paying in full may result in a conviction on your driving record.

The following services are offered online: