I got a ticket for failure to stay in a single lane here in Texas. The court says my initial appearance is on 11/5. Does that mean I have until then to enter a plea? It also says there’s a $200 bond, but I didn’t have to pay anything when I got the citation. I’m kinda confused about that. Also, I can’t find the original citation. Anyone know what’s up with this?
Hey, I’ve had a similar issue before. The initial appearance is when you have to go to court and enter your plea. You’ll likely have a chance to plead guilty, no contest, or not guilty. The $200 bond is probably just a security measure to make sure you show up for court. It’s common to list it even if you don’t pay right away.
I think you’re right about having until 11/5 to enter your plea. The $200 bond just makes sure you show up for your hearing. If you don’t show up, you’ll owe it. You probably didn’t pay it right away because it’s just a guarantee, not something you pay when you first get the ticket.
Thanks for the help, everyone! That clears things up a bit. I’m planning to go to the court tomorrow to check everything out. I was just wondering, are you hard of hearing? And how tough was law school with a 2.5 GPA out of curiosity?
You should expect to get something in the mail soon about the citation. If you don’t get it in the next few days, it’s a good idea to go to court to ask for clarification. Also, the defensive driving option is pretty common in Texas to help reduce fines or points on your license if you plead no contest.
I’ve had this situation before. The bond is mostly a guarantee that you’ll show up, and you don’t usually have to pay it upfront. Just make sure to follow the instructions, like taking the defensive driving class if you plan on pleading no contest.