The purpose of the arraignment is to inform you of the charge against you and to take your plea. You promised to appear at your arraignment date when you signed the ticket issued to you by the officer.
Arraignment Hearing Information
Arraignment Location
9600 Dyer St, El Paso, TX 79924
Arraignment Date
Your arraignment date appears at the top of your citation, above your signature promising to appear on that date. If you do not plead on all charges shown on the ticket by the appearance date, you may expect an arrest warrant to be issued and a $ 50.00 warrant fee to be added to your fine upon conviction.
Arraignment Times
On the date specified you may appear anytime between the hours of 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Courtroom doors will closed promptly at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM and no one will be admitted to the courtroom past 3:00 PM.
Procedure
When you enter the courtroom, please sign in with the Court bailiff. Your case will be called in the order in which you were received, first-come, first-served.
Pleas
The purpose of the arraignment is to take your plea. The judge will advise you of the charge and request your plea. Testimony regarding the facts of the case will not be heard.
Guilty Plea
If you plead guilty, you will be fined by the judge
Not Guilty Plea
If you plead not guilty and request a trial, the judge will ask you if you want a trial by judge or jury and will ask if you would like a court reporter to take a record of the proceedings
Affirmative Defenses
If you received a violation for Failure To Maintain Financial Responsibility, a driver’s license violation, a vehicle registration violation, a vehicle inspection sticker violation, an animal regulation violation or a defective vehicle equipment violation and you have documents that prove compliance with the law, you may produce those at your arraignment. Upon review of the documents the City Prosecutor will make a recommendation to the judge regarding the disposition of the case.
Drivers Safety Course
If you would like to take a driver's safety course for the dismissal of a violation you may request permission from the judge. Learn More
Rescheduling Arraignment Date
Before your arraignment date
1. You may waive arraignment and request a regular trial date. (Print and fill out the waiver of arraignment, and fax to 915-212-0216)
After your arraignment
2. In order to reschedule your arraignment date, bond must be posted according to the bond schedule. Once bond is received, your request for trial will be entered. You will be notified by mail of your trial date when it is scheduled.
Decorum and Dress
- Proper decorum must be maintained in the court at all times. The following are not allowed: food or drink, chewing gum, shorts, tank tops or halter-tops.
- Cellular phones, beepers and other electronic devices must be turned off once the court is in session. Failure to abide by the Court rules and regulations may result in a contempt finding and the assessment of a fine.
Video Arraignment
Video Arraignment Hours: 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM & 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM (Monday - Friday)
Video arraignment is a feature offered as customer service for citizens living in the various locations in the city. This option allows customers to save time, reduce travel and save gas. Locations for video arraignment are:
- 10780 Pebble Hills - Pebble Hills Command Offices
- 9011 Escobar - Mission Valley Command Offices
- 4801 Osborne - Westside Command Offices
On the date of your arraignment as shown on your citation, you can choose to utilize our Video Arraignment System for your hearing. You can choose one of the bond offices closest to you from the list above. NOTE: If you have any evidence to present, please have this on hand for your hearing.
On the date of your arraignment go any time during video arraignment hours of operation:
- Check in with cashier
- Cashier will alert the NE Judge of your presence. (Judge will connect with defendants in the order as they come in)
- When it is your turn, the cashier will dial in to the NE Judge using the video conferencing equipment.
- You will stand in front of a camera, where you'll see the Judge live on a screen, and they will see you on their end.
- At this point, they will hear your plea or view any evidence you might have to present. If you have documents to show, there is a document camera where you will place the evidence. The cashier is there to assist if you have questions.
- Once the Judge has finalized your hearing, please see the cashier to get a copy of what happened with your case.
The Video Arraignment System like any technology, is prone to technical difficulties. Please plan accordingly.