When you receive a citation please read the information on the front and back of the citation thoroughly. You have four options available to you when responding to the violation(s) on your citation:

1. Appear in Court – the time and date you are to appear in Court is on the front of your citation, at the very bottom. You should arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time to see the judge
2. Appear in person - Based on your driving record, and the type of offense, the clerk may or may not be able to assess a fine lower than your full fine amount.
3. Enter a Plea by Written Appearance - You may enter the following pleas:
   • Guilty
   • No Contest
   • Not Guilty
   • Trial by Affidavit

• On the back of your citation, complete the required information for either option 2 or 3 and mail, or bring your citation to the Court, along with payment of the full fine amount.
  • A Guilty plea waives your right to a trial. Guilty means that you admit to the violation and are ready for immediate resolution of the citation. If you are appearing before the Judge and enter a plea, you may offer an explanation or extenuating circumstances that you feel may help the Judge in her decision. However, your comments may not be for the purpose of explaining why you are not guilty. \
  • A No Contest plea results in a guilty finding in if the Judge finds all elements of the citation to be in order. A no contest plea preserves the right to appeal to a higher court.
  • A Not Guilty plea will result in a trial. Not guilty means you deny one or more of the elements of the citation and wish to proceed to trial at a future date set by the court. You will be notified in person or by mail of the trial date.
    • At trial, you and the police officer will appear in court to present evidence about your citation. Evidence can include the testimony of you and the officer, the testimony of any witnesses, and photographs or diagrams.
    • Non-attorney trials are informal and take 20 minutes or less. The judge will hear the evidence and make a decision at the end of the trial.
    • If you choose to hire an attorney, make sure that he or she notifies the court as soon as possible, no later than 7 days prior to the trial. A new trial date will be set.
    • Trial by Affidavit – This is a written plea submitted to the Judge on or before your scheduled Court appearance. The Officer will submit his written plea, and after the Judge makes a decision, you will be notified by mail of the outcome. If you Fail to Appear on a Traffic Citation: You will be found Guilty by Default and you will be fined the full bail listed on your citation.