Court Process

Citation

You receive a citation (ticket) for a violation of a state or local ordinance (law). Some citations require that you come to court (mandatory appearance). Others require that you pay a fee (forfeiture), but you may choose to come to court (initial appearance) to either discuss your citation or make a plea of not guilty.

Court Date / Notified to Appear

Before the court date specified on your citation you must either:

• Pay the forfeiture (fine)
• Plan on appearing in court
• Send a letter requesting a different court date at least one week before you are scheduled to appear in court

Mandatory Appearance

If your citation reads "Appearance Required: Yes", you must come to your assigned court date. At this time you may meet with the prosecutor before appearing before the judge to enter a plea.