Opinion No.

Honorable Maurice S. Pipkin Executive Director State Commission on Judicial Conduct 120 Supreme Court Bldg. Austin, Texas 78711

Re: Authority of municipal judges and justices of peace to change moving traffic violation to nonmoving violation.

Dear Mr. Pipkin:

You request our opinion concerning the authority of municipal court judges and justices of the peace in traffic cases. You ask whether a judge may dismiss a moving violation charge in exchange for a plea of guilty to a nonmoving violation which is not contained in the complaint, it not a lesser included offense and bears no factual…