DACC VIRTUAL COURT SERVICES GUIDELINES

DACC VIRTUAL COURT SERVICES GUIDELINES

Downtown Austin Community Court is now able to provide online court appointments to speak with a judge.

Services we are able to provide through our Virtual Mitigation Docket:

  1. Requests for extensions, payment plans, community service or other requests for relief due to hardships.
  2. Providing proof of compliance with court orders such as completion of court ordered classes, community service or other requirements.
  3. Requests for jail credit – Defendant can show proof of incarceration and enter a plea on the case, if needed.  
  4. Assistance with financial forms for financial hardship.
  5. If you would like to contest the charge and set for trial by a judge or jury, speak with a DACC clerk by emailing DACCVirtualDocket@austintexas.gov.
  6. Speak with a prosecutor to discuss options for resolving your case by either a) a no contest/guilty plea to the charge and work out a way to pay a fine or b) a deferred disposition (probation) to get your case dismissed, if eligible.  If you choose to speak to a prosecutor about resolving cases where no plea has been entered, be aware that a prosecutor represents the State of Texas and are not acting as your attorney. Any information you discuss with or provide to a prosecutor might be used in court should your case go to trial. You may end a conversation with a prosecutor at any time and set unadjudicated cases for trial.

Requirements

You must have an electronic device that is compatible with ZOOM. (IPhone, Android, tablets, laptops, and home computers with video capability should be compatible).  

Run a test via the Zoom platform here: https://zoom.us/test 

A state issued photo id is required.

See here for more detail regarding system requirements and ‘Getting Started’ guides for

“Desktop” (computer use) or “Mobile” (smartphone use):  https://support.zoom.us/hc/enus/categories/200101697  

How to contact us / initiate a request:

To request an online court appearance with a prosecutor or a judge, please click here.

Attach any documentation that you wish to provide within the form.  If you prefer, you may email any attachments to:  DACCvirtualdocket@austintexas.gov.  Please use Adobe PDF format when possible.  Due to security issues, other formats may get rejected. If you have not received confirmation that your documents were received within 24 hours prior to your court session or if you have any questions, please call 512-974-4879

Expectations

  1. Reserve 30-45 minutes of time for the virtual hearing.
  2. Select a room environment that allows you to focus on discussing your case with the judge and/or prosecutor and minimize interruptions or background noise.
  3. Be patient with unexpected technical issues or inactivity during the session as we work through the technical challenges associated with the management of virtual dockets.
  4. Send information to the court in advance to DACCVirtualDocket@austintexas.gov and have those documents with you when you sign in to your court appearance.

Public Broadcast: In accordance with the Office of Court Administration, all court settings are open to the public.  Our virtual dockets will bebroadcast live via a public website. Additionally, cases needing a plea will be recorded and maintained as a record by the court.   To view these live broadcasts, click the following link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2oDINOYXL_QuOMRgOyJZEQ