R. Michael Smith at a glance
- Current role
- Municipal Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
R. Michael Smith
Municipal Judge · Hallsville Municipal Court
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Solano, 1990-2007
- 1990–2007: Elevated to the Solano County Superior Court, serving as a trial judge until his voluntary retirement on June 4, 2007
- Distinguished judge of the Solano County Superior Court in California, serving from 1986 until his retirement in 2007
- Trial Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Solano, 1986-1990
- 1986–1990: Appointed as a judge of the Northern Solano Municipal Court
- Before becoming a judge, Smith held a position as a deputy district attorney for Solano County (1976–1983) and later as chief deputy district attorney for the northern half of Solano County (1983–1986).
Education
- McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific — J.D. (1976)
- in Business Administration — California State University, Chico — B.A. (1970)
Additional information
- He was active in community initiatives, including a 2009 effort to establish a legal museum in the historic Solano County courthouse.
- After retirement, he joined the Assigned Judges Program.
- The trial judge in the People v.
- Robert Allen Bacon capital case, as noted in appellate filings.
- Born and raised in Vallejo, California, Smith attended Hogan High School and Solano College.
- His wife was a sociology professor at Solano Community College and later dean of its Behavioral and Social Sciences Department.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
For the specific fine-and-cost hearings governed by Articles 45A.258 and 45A.259, a justice or municipal judge may allow a defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference when an in-person appearance would impose undue hardship.
If the justice or judge determines that requiring a defendant to appear before the justice or judge in person for a hearing under Article 45A.258 or 45A.259 would impose an undue hardship on the defendant, the justice or judge may allow the defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference.Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Hallsville Municipal Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Hallsville Municipal Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference ↗Hallsville Municipal Court official directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 11, 2026
View Hallsville Municipal Court official directory ↗