I *strongly* suggest to the original poster to ask for deferred adjudication.

I lived in San Antonio for six years from 1992-98. Foolishly, I let my insurance policy lapse in the early 1990s, and I was subsequently pulled over in Leon Valley for speeding. The officer wrote me a ticket for not having insurance, and said that if I got a policy and went to court, I could have the matter adjudicated. He didn't give me a speeding ticket, just the no-insurance citation.

I got insurance that week, went to court the next week and showed my new insurance card to the judge. He said, if you keep your insurance steady for a year and come back after that time, the charge will be dismissed, and I would have to pay only $70 in court costs vs $250 for the no-insurance citation. I did as instructed and the charge was dismissed as promised.

While in court I heard people being offered what Leon Valley called "speeding probation": basically, if you go six or twelve months without getting another ticket, you come back to court and they drop the citation and you pay an administrative fee. Nothing winds up on your record.

Also on the subject of deferred adjudication: In 1997-98 I served as the Permit Officer for the City of Castle Hills. I would sometimes help with municipal court on Thursday afternoon, and our police officers would issue plenty of tickets, many on NW Military just north of Loop 410. These speeders would come in, and if they had no speeding history in Castle Hills, and they asked for speeding probation / deferred adjudication, the judge would almost always comply if the offense was less than 15 mph over the posted speed limit, offering dismissal if the driver paid some court costs and went six months without getting another speeding ticket in Castle Hills.

(The OP should be grateful that the citation is for 59mph in a 45, and not 60mph, as Selma might have a similar policy. I've also heard that defensive driving is no longer allowed in Texas if the offense is 15+mph over the limit.)

In any event, I always encourage people who receive mild speeding citations to go to municipal court with your hat in hand and ask if they can be gentle. More often than not, the municipal judge will be very accommodating.

People who tell me "Oh, I heard that the town in which I received my ticket won't deal with speeders" or "I don't have time for court" just irk the snot out of me. They don't even try to avoid a conviction when it is very possible. I tell them, well then don't expect any sympathy from me when you tell your speeding story. You could avoid a permanent blemish on your driving record if you just try a little.

Once again, to the OP: Go to court and ask for deferred adjudication. You'll almost certainly get it, and avoid a conviction, if this is your first ticket in Selma.