Killervirgo v. The State of Texas

That's right. I am putting the state on trial.

Today was my pre-trial hearing and I was a bit overwhelmed. I didn't know that it is basically an open court and people can overhear the details regarding your brush with the law.

My scheduled time to show was 10am but I got there at 9:45. It was about 10:10 when my name was called and I made my way to the front of the court to speak with the D.A.(?) regarding my issue with the alleged citation. I didn't deny that I rear-ended a car, but my main issue was with the conflicting information the State Trooper gave me. He repeatedly told me I had a warning and my ticket confirmed his statements. The D.A. pulled their copy of the ticket and it showed that it was a citation. We both looked confused and after a few minutes more of discussing the issue, the D.A. decided to dismiss my ticket. She started to fill out the dismissal notice before she said,

"You know what? I think you should meet with the judge and the State Trooper to get more information."

I think that I have a good chance of beating the ticket due to the conflicting information, but having the Trooper in the court room is sort of a minus for me. Having a member of law enforcement there makes me fearful that the Judge will see my side of the argument. I could be wrong, but I will be prepared counter anything the Trooper has to offer.

My trial date is the end of January and I am really hoping that the Trooper doesn't show up. It will make things so much easier.