Answering the Citation

Court Appearance Date
Review the copy of your citation. The court appearance date is located on the citation, just above where you signed your citation. Court appearance dates are either on Wednesday or Friday.

Wait at least 48 hours after receiving your citation before you contact the court. By doing so, there is greater chance that the citation will already be entered into the computer.

Appear before the court on or before the date on the citation. Telephone calls do not constitute an appearance.

Persons under the age of 17 must appear in court with a parent or legal guardian. Please see Juvenile Information for more information.

Failing to Make Your Appearance
If you fail to make your appearance, an additional offense of Violate Promise to Appear or Fail to Appear will be added. In addition, a warrant will be issued for your arrest if an appearance is not made within 10 days of the initial appearance date.

Pleas
You may enter a plea of no contest or guilty to waive your right to a trial and take care of the citation, or you can enter a plea of not guilty and request a trial. Please see Entering a Plea for more information on entering a plea or your trial options.

Moving Violation
If you received a moving violation and would like to keep the offense off of your driving record, you may request to take a driver’s safety course or request deferred disposition. Learn about Defensive Driving.