MUNICIPAL COURTS
APPEALS
Motion for New Trial
Pursuant to Article 45.037 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, any motion for a new trial in a municipal or justice court must be made within one (1) day after the judgment is entered. The motion must be made in writing and filed before 5:00 p.m. on the next business day following the trial.Appeals
Any appeal filed after a trial in the Mansfield Municipal Court of Record should be in compliance with Articles 45.042 - 45.043 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. To perfect an appeal, the defendant must post an appeal bond which is generally two (2) times the amount of the fine assessed by the jury or Judge. Notice of the appeal and the appeal bond must be filed with the Mansfield Municipal Court of Record no later than ten (10) days after the verdict was rendered and the judgment was entered. All appeals from the Mansfield Municipal Court of Record will be heard by the Tarrant County Criminal Courts in Fort Worth, Texas.
An appeal taken from the Mansfield Municipal Court of Record will be based on error reflected in the record (transcript of the hearing) and will not be a new trial. See Article 45.042(b) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Therefore, the defendant will also be responsible for the $25.00 Clerk Transcript and the cost of preparing a Court transcript of his or her trial to forward to the appellate court. The amount of the transcript will depend on the length of the trial, the evidence presented, etc. The average cost of a municipal court trial transcript is $200-$500.
If the appeal bond is not timely filed, the appellate court does not gain jurisdiction of the case. See the Code of Criminal Procedure for more information on appeals.
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