Plea of "Not Guilty"
Municipal courts in Texas are state courts and handle criminal offenses, therefore, all persons are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.
A plea of "not guilty" indicates to the Court that you wish to proceed with a formal trial.
As in all criminal trials, the State is required to prove all the elements of the offense "beyond a reasonable doubt" before a defendant can be found guilty by a judge or jury.
Plea of "Guilty"
A plea of "guilty" means:
- you are waiving your right to a trial and waiving the right to review any evidence.
- you admit the offense violated the law.
- you admit to committing said offense.
- you accept the consequence(s) imposed by the Court.
Plea of "Nolo Contendere" or "No Contest"
A plea of "No Contest" means:
- you are waiving your right to a trial and waiving the right to review any evidence.
- you do not admit the alleged offense violated the law.
- you do not admit committing the alleged offense.
- you accept the consequence(s) imposed by the Court.
