City of Waller Plea Types

A Plea of GUILTY means that you admit that the act is prohibited by law, that you committed the act charged, and that you have no legal defense for your act. You should understand the following:

You are innocent until proven guilty.

Your plea of GUILTY may be used against you later in a civil suit (e.g. if there was a traffic accident another party can say you were at fault or responsible for the accident because you pled guilty to the traffic charge.)

A Plea of NO CONTEST means that you do not contest the charge against, You will almost certainly be found guilty, unless you are eligible and successfully complete a driving safety course and/or deferred disposition. Also, a plea of no contest cannot be used against you in a subsequent civil suit for damages.

If you plead GUILTY or nolo contender (NO CONTEST), you must include a waiver of a jury trial.

A Plea of NOT GUILTY means that you deny guilt or that you have a defense in your case and the State must prove the charges against you. If you plead NOT GUILTY, you will need to decide whether to hire an attorney, or represent yourself.

If you plead NOT GUILTY, the court will schedule a jury trial unless you waive that right and then the trial will be before the judge. Jury trials are scheduled as needed. The court will send you a notice setting the date of your jury trial.