This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate.(December 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Traffic court" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(July 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
Traffic court is a specialized judicial process for handling traffic ticket cases. In the United States, people who are given a citation by a police officer can plead guilty and pay the indicated fine directly to the court house, by mail, or on the Internet. A person who wishes to plead not guilty or otherwise contest the charges is required to appear in court on the predetermined date on the citation, where they may argue before the judge or negotiate with the prosecutor before being called to appear in front of the judge. Most prosecutors will not negotiate with someone who does not have a lawyer. The person may also request a trial by a written declaration in the following states: California, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, and Wyoming.[1]
In the case of a trial by written declaration, the accused does not have to be present in the courtroom; they may just explain the reason to defense for the case. Officers are required to turn in their declaration. The judge will then make a decision based on the declarations and evidence from both sides. After the written trial, the accused is allowed to request a new in-person hearing if they are not satisfied with the outcome of the written trial, by filing a trial de novo request.[2][3]
More serious charges, such as a DUI or instances where the person in question may be responsible for injuries to another, may require the person to appear in court regardless of their plea. Some municipalities process guilty pleas of this nature without the presence of an actual judge, whereas others may require one to appear in court. Often these charges are handled by the larger criminal court.
Each state handles traffic matters in its own way. In most of New York State, for example, traffic matters are heard in the court for the city, town, or village where the alleged violation happened. The town and village courts are known as Justice Courts. Each municipality is free to decide how to handle traffic cases. A similar process is followed in Tennessee, though many southern states have varying procedures for paying the fine as a form of pleading guilty.[4] New York City traffic matters (and those of a few other locations) are heard in a special court called Traffic Violations Bureau, with a very different process. New Jersey handles traffic matters in the Municipal Court System, with the most serious cases heard in Superior Court. In Virginia, traffic court is general district court and speeding as low as 81 mph in a 70 is misdemeanor reckless driving.[5][6] In Washington, D.C., traffic tickets are handled by the Department of Motor Vehicles. In California, tickets are handled in Superior Court. Massachusetts tickets are heard in District Courts.[citation needed] In the City of Chicago, traffic tickets issued by Chicago Police Officers with no possibility of jail time are handled by the City's Law Department, frequently by law students. All other traffic violations (including those issued by state police) are dealt with by the Cook County State's Attorney.[7]
^"Trial by Declaration: Fight a Traffic Ticket Without Going to Court". 13 May 2008.
^"California Courts Online - the most comprehensive resource on California court information" (PDF). 5 October 2021.
^"Vehicle Code Section 40902". www.dmv.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2001-02-11.
^Park, Sean. "How Tennessee Handles Traffic Court". The Park Law Firm. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
Trafficcourt is a specialized judicial process for handling traffic ticket cases. In the United States, people who are given a citation by a police officer...
citation and summons to appear at trafficcourt, with a determination of guilt to be made only in court. In Australia, traffic laws are made at the state level...
A traffic stop is usually considered to be a Terry stop and, as such, is a seizure by police; the standard set by the United States Supreme Court in...
cases, such as traffic-themed (TrafficCourt), divorce-themed (Divorce Court), etc. Your Witness (ABC, 1949–1950) A short-lived court show that involves...
youth law, civil law and traffic law. More than 170,000 matters come before the Court every year. Although Alberta’s provincial court system has been in operation...
Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) is an administrative court of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles that adjudicates non-criminal traffic violations...
plans for transportation to the court house, his vehicle breaks down or unexpected weather conditions bring traffic to a halt." All fifty states have...
from 1854 to 1886. It is also known as Police Station & Law Courts (former) and TrafficCourt. The property is owned by the Department of Justice, a department...
A traffic collision, also known as a motor vehicle collision (car crash in case cars are involved in the collision), occurs when a vehicle collides with...
Summary Court (also called Courts of First Instance which are composed of one or more divisions, like a TrafficCourt or an Administrative Court); then...
Chicago TrafficCourt. In addition, Assistant State's Attorney Terrence Hake went undercover in the Criminal Division of the Cook County Circuit Court, initially...
Summary Court (also called Courts of First Instance which are composed of one or more divisions, like a TrafficCourt or an Administrative Court); then...
Rivera, Pixar production chief for Cars When Lightning sees Sally in trafficcourt for the first time, he mistakes her as being from his own attorney's...
personally, without lawyers. For example, most small claims courts, trafficcourts, justice courts presided over by justices of the peace, many administrative...
criminal record that may be maintained for life. Traffic enforcement Traffic ticket TrafficcourtTraffic school Conlon, Joe (Winter 2015). "A Missouri Citizen's...
self-appointed traffic policeman. Much of his activism relates to regulating traffic in Chennai and filing public interest lawsuits in court.[unreliable...
of Philadelphia. The Municipal Court has three divisions: the Criminal Division, the Civil Division, and the Traffic Division. Within the Unified Judicial...
ten times during that period, for failing to attend trafficcourt for cab violations including traffic violations and an attempt to overcharge a customer...
misused. Minor issues such as traffic violations or disagreements over pet-licensing fees may provoke numerous court filings. Courts will then find themselves...
Traffic obstruction is a common tactic used during public protests and political demonstrations. The transport users affected by such disruptions are...
affiliate KABC began broadcasting a show entitled TrafficCourt. The series presented re-enactments of trafficcourt cases and arraignments. First the series aired...
superior court's presiding judge in response to changing caseloads (that is, regardless of whether the division is colloquially called "trafficcourt" or "family...
waste, the environment, noise, animal control, zoning, traffic, and tourism. The first Livability Court in the United States was created in Charleston, South...
jurisdictions had inferior trial courts of limited jurisdiction such as municipal courts, trafficcourts, and justice of the peace courts, so it was natural to call...
Global Information
