History of Municipal Courts
The Municipal Court occupies a unique position in the Texas Judicial System. More people are exposed to municipal courts than all other courts combined. Most people appear in city courts because of traffic citations, and for most, whether as a defendant, witness, or juror, this will be their only contact with the criminal justice system. Those who appear in Municipal Court for the first time will develop lasting impressions of the court, and because it is difficult to distinguish between courts, they naturally will project their experience to the entire criminal justice system. Consequently, public impression of the judicial system is formed in large measure by proceedings in the municipal court.
The Municipal Court has jurisdiction over Class C misdemeanor offenses including but not limited to traffic offenses, penal code, and city ordinance violations. All offenses must have occurred within the city limits (including the extra-territorial jurisdiction limits) of the City of Nacogdoches.