At the time of your first appearance, you will be identified as the defendant, and you will be asked how you plead to the offense with which you are charged. Rule 21 - Filing and Serving Pleadings and Motions (a) Filing and Service Required.This guide tells you how to respond or file an answer in a civil case in Texas. If a motion to set aside an indictment, information, or complaint for failure to provide a speedy trial is sustained, the court shall discharge the defendant. This plea means that you deny guilt or you have a good defense in your case and that the State will have to prove what it has charged against you. As a general rule, a suit in Small Claims Court must be brought in the county and in the Justice of the Peace Precinct in which the defendant resides. A pleading that states a claim for relief must contain: (1) a short and plain statement of the grounds for the court's jurisdiction. In Texas, a verified answer is a type of pleading that a defendant can file in response to a plaintiff's petition or complaint. It means you're neither admitting guilt nor declaring innocence. You're simply accepting the charges.