The date on the citation is the date of your initial appearance. An initial appearance is your opportunity to enter a plea to the charge. You may plead either GUILTY, NO CONTEST, or NOT GUILTY. The initial appearance is not the trial date and the Municipal Judge will not hear any extenuating circumstances. Should you plead guilty or no contest, the court will find you guilty and the matter will be resolved at the initial appearance.

Arraignment. The appearance date given on your ticket is your arraignment date. You must appear on this date unless you pay the ticket prior to the date. Please note, if the officer has indicated on the ticket that it is a MUST APPEAR citation, then you may not pay the ticket prior to the court date, and you must appear before the Judge. At this first appearance you may talk to the Prosecutor about a plea negotiation.

If you have been charged with a minor moving traffic violation, you have three options in handling your case:

Failure to appear could result in a Misdemeanor Judge issuing a capias for your arrest. You may forfeit the bond you posted, thus losing your money or collateral. Should you be arrested for failure to appear, you may be held in jail with or without a bond.

If payment is not received, you are required to appear in Court on the date shown on the traffic citation. Griffin Municipal Court is held at the City Courtroom 231 E. Solomon St. every Thursday at 3:30pm. Failure to appear in court will result in the suspension of your driver's license and the issuance of a bench warrant for your arrest. After April 5th, 2007 Griffin Municipal Court will be held at 100 S. Hill St.

I am a New Jersey driver. Does my ticket carry points that would be assessed against my driving record? (Link to DMV)

The first court date is the arraignment. You are simply advised as to the charge(s) and asked if you want to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to those charges. Usually, the police report and other discovery is available to your attorney. In felony and other serious cases, if you don't have a private attorney with you, the prosecution will give the discovery to the public defender who the judge will appoint to represent you if you qualify as "indigent".

Follow the instructions included with your subpoena. If you still have questions call our victim/witness coordinator at 618-277-3892.

No, your paperwork will be filed into your local court and it is this that appears before the judge for his signature. You will then be issued with a bankruptcy order and an official receiver will be appointed to administer your case. Often you will not even have to attend an interview in person with the Official Receiver but a 10 minute telephone call is all that is required to finalise the bankruptcy. (back to top)

Misdemeanor fingerprints are done on Tuesdays only from 1pm ? 4pm on a walk in basis. There is no fee for this service. You must bring the original citation and have valid photo identification (California/State drivers license or identification card, military identification) in order to have your prints taken.

Check in at the Justice Court Clerk window on the arraignment date, which is shown on your citation by 9:30 AM. We will then send you to the District Attorney’s office, which is located in the same lobby directly next to the Justice Court Clerk window. After meeting with District Attorney’s office you will return to the Justice Court Clerk with documentation to be filed. If a settlement was reached we will process and file appropriate documents and collect any fines due at that time.

a witness for the State, you may be questioned by the State's Attorney and then by the Defendant's attorney, who will cross-examine you (ask you additional questions). You may feel, during the questioning, that your testimony is under suspicion, or that your personal motives are doubted, but the process of cross-examination is not meant as a personal attack towards you. It is to ensure that all sides of the case are told, and to establish the truth.