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| | Municipal Judge ~ (830) 997-9935 ● (830) 997-1540 (fax) Municipal Judge - Katherine Peake Court Clerk - Sally Tatsch (se habla espanol) | Mailing Address: | - 125 W. Main,
- Fredericksburg TX 78624
| | Physical Location: | Gillespie County Annex #1 ● Old Post Office, on Courthouse Square |
CASE LOAD AND FINE REVENUE ACTIVITY BY YEAR DPS-FTA PROGRAM JUVENILE ACTIVITY (excluding traffic offenses) - ALCOHOL/DRUG OFFENSES INVOLVING MINORS (UNDER21) AND ADULTS
Katherine Peake is the Fredericksburg Municipal Judge. See below for more information Sally Tatsch is the Municipal Court Clerk. She was appointed in November, 1998. She also is the Clerk to Judge Carl Schoessow, J.P. Precinct #2 of Gillespie County. Ella habla Espanol. Katherine Peake Municipal Judge Katherine Peake has served as the City of Fredericksburg Municipal Judge since January, 1984. Katherine was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating with an Anthropology degree from the University of New Mexico, she attended and graduated from The University of Denver School of Law in 1980. Upon graduation, she married her husband, David, passed the Colorado Bar Exam, and immediately moved to Fredericksburg. Katherine and David now have five children, all born at Hill Country Memorial Hospital; George, Sam, David, Henry and Zoe. Upon moving to Texas, Katherine took the Texas Bar Exam and began her legal career with the District Attorney for the 216th Judicial District. After working with the D.A., she was briefly in private practice before being hired as Municipal Judge. Katherine has been active in numerous community and state organizations. She was a founding board member of the Hill Country Community Needs Council and The Good Samaritan Center, serving as president of both organizations. She has also served as a board member and chairman of the Hill Country Memorial Hospital and the Fredericksburg Independent School District’s Board of Trustees. As well, she has served on The Hill Country Land Trust, Pioneer Memorial Library Foundation, the Lone Star Association of Charitable Clinics and Region XIII Education Service Center. She has coached Optimist T-Ball and soccer teams, taught calligraphy in Stonewall School, and volunteered as a mentor and OTTER reader in FISD. Judge Peake has also been on the faculty of The Texas Municipal Courts Education Center since 2002. As Municipal Judge, Katherine presides at jury and judge trials, which consist of fine-only city ordinance, traffic, and penal code violations, such as public intoxication, disorderly conduct and minor assaults. The fines are generally up to $200 for traffic violations, $500 for penal code violations and can be up to $2,000 for violations relating to fire, safety, zoning, public health, and sanitation. State imposed court costs, up to $104 per violation, must be collected as well. In addition, the Municipal Judge has magistrate duties, which include issuing search and arrest warrants, mental health commitments, seizure of abused animals and Emergency Protective Orders. Katherine is aware that more citizens come into personal contact with municipal courts than with all other Texas courts combined. For most citizens—whether appearing as a defendant, witness, or juror—this may be their only personal contact with the judicial system. She believes it is her responsibility for the public to have a positive impression of the court system as public impression of the entire judicial system is affected and shaped in large measure by the proceedings of municipal court. | |
The Municipal Court Offices are located 125 W. Main, Gillespie County Annex #1 (The Old Post Office). The telephone number is (830) 997-9935.
1. If you want to plead “Not Guilty” and want a trial, indicate below and return your plea BY YOUR APPEARANCE DATE (located on the bottom right of your citation). You will receive notice by mail with your court date. 2. If you want to plead “No Contest”, and pay your fine, indicate below. Refer to the chart below for the fine amount. Mail checks/ money orders payable to “The City of Fredericksburg” to the above address. 3. If you are eligible for a Driving Safety Course Dismissal, complete the reply form* and return this form with $105.00 Court Costs BY YOUR APPEARANCE DATE. (Not available for commercial driver’s license holders) NOTE: If you do not respond BY YOUR APPEARANCE DATE additional charges will be filed against you. Additional fees will be added, you will be unable to renew your driver’s license, you will be ineligible to take a driver’s safety course and warrants for your arrest will be issued. Telephone calls do not count as an appearance. JUVENILES (under 17) must appear with a parent or guardian. Please call for an appointment. *Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader  (Violations in a construction zone while workers are present are double the amount shown) | 1 | Speeding: | 1-10 mph over the limit | $150.00 | | | | 11-15 mph over the limit | $170.00 | | | | 16-20 mph over the limit | $190.00 | | | | 21-24 mph over the limit | $280.00 | | | | 25 mph and over, not eligible for Defensive Driving Dismissal, contact court for fine amount | | | 2. | Violate Promise to Appear/Failure to Appear | $250.00 | | 3 | Ran Red Light or Stop Sign | $150.00 | | 4 | Expired Driver’s License 1 | $210.00 | | 5 | Altered/Fictitious Inspection Sticker or Registration | $285.00 | | 6 | Failure to Yield Right of Way/ Failure to Control Speed | $120.00 | | 7 | U-Turn or Illegal Left Turn between Intersection (City Ordinance) | $120.00 | | 8 | No Driver’s License (1st offense only) | $230.00 | | 9 | Expired Inspection Sticker (only if expired less than 60 days) / Expired Registration1 | $120.00 | | 10 | No Insurance/ Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility 2 | $330.00 | | 11 | Seat Belt Violations: | Adult Driver/Passenger | $145.00 | | | | Child 5-17/ Child | $240.00 | | 12 | Open Container in Vehicle | $180.00 | | 13 | Fail to Change Address on Driver’s License (cannot be dismissed upon remedy) 1 | $120.00 | | | 1 May be dismissed with $20.00 fee upon proof of current inspection, registration, driver’s license, change of address IF proof of compliance is submitted within 20 working days of citation date. (delinquent registration fee to Tax Office must be shown for registration dismissals) | | | | 2 Will be dismissed with proof of insurance coverage valid at time of citation (No Fee). Insurance will be verified and false submissions will be turned over to the District Attorney for felony prosecution. | |
CASE LOAD AND FINE REVENUE  ACTIVITY BY YEAR | | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | Total Cases Filed | 2936 | 3089 | 2701 | 2997 | Traffic | 2580 | 2665 | 2355 | 2545 | City Ordinance | 33 | 34 | 40 | 59 | Penal Code | 289 | 388 | 325 | 393 | Juvenile Cases | 64 | 99 | 69 | 86 | Emergency Protective Orders | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | Total Fines and Costs Collected | $167,676 | $158,657 | $180,106 | $191,697 | | | | | | | Arrest Warrants | 71 | 100 | 169 | 182 | Defensive Driving Dismissals | 380 | 207 | 264 | 168 | Jury Trials | 10 | 1 | 7 | 7 | Non-Jury Trials | 41 | 30 | 54 | 57 | Community Service Cases | 149 | 137 | 193 | 148 | hours assigned | 1671 | 1699 | 2935 | 3742 | hours completed | 1388 | 1176 | 1357 | 2074 |
DPS-FTA PROGRAM The City joined this program on November 11, 1998. Violators who do not contact the court or default on payment are entered in the DPS data base and are unable to renew their driver’s license. Since licenses are renewed every 4 years, there is lag time in collecting. A fee of $30.00 is added to the cost of the ticket when it is entered into the program. Especially with out-of-county violators, this program has begun to pay off. Warrants are now issued only when a person doesn’t have a D.L. or is a local, chronic violator. DPS-FTA Program | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | total cases entered to date | 578 | 1026 | 1499 | 2026 | cases closed | 39 | 124 | 182 | 214 | amount collected | $46,729. | $78,522. | $128,711. | $151,121. | total amount owed | $108,651. | $195,391. | $293,964. | $409,901. |
JUVENILE ACTIVITY (excluding traffic offenses) Offense | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | Total cases | 84 | 64 | 99 | 69 | 86 | Curfew | 30 | 18 | 29 | 20 | 20 | skateboard/bike on sidewalk | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | theft | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | MIP-alcohol (<17 for this chart) | 11 | 9 | 20 | 12 | 24 | MIP-tobacco (<18) | 27 | 33 | 27 | 24 | 22 | Assault | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Disorderly Conduct (fighting, language) | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 19 | Criminal Mischief | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | Possession of drug paraphernalia | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
ALCOHOL/DRUG OFFENSES INVOLVING MINORS (UNDER 21) AND ADULTS Below are statistics relating to alcohol offenses in Municipal Court. They do not reflect DWI cases or 3rd alcohol offenses involving minors, which are filed in County or District Court. The law requires four sanctions when a defendant under 21 is convicted of an alcohol offense; a fine up to $500, community service, attendance at an alcohol awareness class, and driver license suspension for 30 or 60 days. The alcohol awareness class is offered locally through FISD Community Education by Cindy Harper. Offense | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | Driving under influence-minor | 11 | 14 | 26 | 8 | 16 | MIP (alcohol) | 60 | 57 | 89 | 48 | 60 | Consumption of Alcohol by Minor | ----- | ---- | 18 | 7 | 10 | Public Intoxication | 89 | 88 | 80 | 79 | 106 | Possession of Drug Paraphernalia | 13 | 28 | 24 | 43 | 54 | Open Container (starting 9/1/01) | ------- | ------ | 38 | 65 | 28 |
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