State Reporting and Court Costs

Question 1

What reports must the court submit to the Texas Department of Public Safety?

Answer 1

Convictions of all traffic offenses
Convictions of Alcoholic Beverage Code offenses involving minors
Orders of deferred disposition of Alcoholic Beverage Code offenses involving minors

Question 2

When are court costs required to be collected on cases?

Answer 2

Upon conviction and when judgement is deferred.

Question 3

True/False

Courts do not report convictions for theft of gasoline because it is not a traffic offense.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

True/False
Each magistrate or judge of a municipal court of non-record and each clerk or a municipal court of record are required to keep records of persons charged with traffic offenses.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

True/False
When a court allows a defendant to enter into a payment plan on a traffic conviction, the court does not start counting the seven days to report eh conviction to DPS until the final payment is made.

Answer 5

False

Question 6

True/False
When a court requires a defendant to discharge the fine by community service, the court does not report that traffic conviction to DPS because the court has not collected any money yet.

Answer 6

False

Question 7

True/False

When a defendant appeals his or her traffic case, the court does not report a conviction to DPS.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

True/False
When a defendant completes a driving safety course, the court is required to report to DPS the date the case is dismissed.

Answer 8

False

Question 9

True/False
If a non-resident violator fails to appear, the court should report the failure to DPS within six months after the date on which the traffic citation was issued because after six months, the other state will not enforce the Nonresident Violator Compact.

Answer 9

True

Question 10

True/False

Courts are required to submit a monthly statistical report to the Office of Court Administration.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

True/False

Cities may pass an ordinance to collect additional court costs without authorization by state law.

Answer 11

False

Question 12

True/False
If a court does not report court costs timely, the city cannot keep any handling fee or the interest if the costs are kept in an interest-bearing account.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

True/False

When a defendant makes a partial payment, the clerk must credit the payment first to the fine.

Answer 13

False

Question 14

True/False

Courts are required to place court costs in separate bank accounts.

Answer 14

False

Question 15

True/False

The child safety fund is only collected on Rules of the Road offenses that are committed in a school crossing zone.

Answer 15

False

Question 16

True/False
Cities with a population of less than 5,000 may pay the State all but one dollar of the fines for offenses under Title 7 of the Transportation Code after they reach 30 percent of the city’s budget.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

True/False
The $50 warrant reimbursement fee is collected only when a peace officer executes or processes a warrant or capias and there is a conviction in the case.

Answer 17

True