Traffic citations do not always require a court appearance. Some traffic violations may be paid to the Clerk of the Circuit Court without going to court. The police officer should indicate on the citation whether a court appearance is required.
COURT APPEARANCE REQUIRED:
If your citation is marked "Court Appearance Required" or the cited offense requires a court appearance you must appear in court to answer to the citation.
Plea of Guilty
If you intend to plead guilty to your citation(s) you will appear at the assigned court date located at the bottom of your ticket.
Plea of Not Guilty
If you intend on pleading not guilty you will follow the instructions on the back side of the blue copy of your citation under the "AVOID MULTIPLE COURT APPEARANCES" section. Please read the instructions carefully and return the blue copy to the appropriate branch location prior to the court date assigned at the bottom of your citation. The clerk will process your trial request and notify you of your new court date through the mail.
**Please note if you do not receive a new trial date by the original court date assigned to you, please call to make sure that the trial request was received to ensure a "failure to appear" judgment will not be entered.
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NO COURT APPEARANCE REQUIRED:
If your citation is marked "NO Court Appearance Required" and the cited offense does not require a court appearance, the following options are available to you:
Option A: plead guilty and pay the fine in person or by mail without coming to court
Option B: plead not guilty, request a trial and appear in court on new trial date.
Option C: plead guilty, receive supervision* and attend traffic school without going to court
Option D: plead guilty, appear in court on the assigned court date and the judge and/or prosecutor will determine the appropriate sentence.
Additional Information:
FAILURE TO CARRY PROOF OF INSURANCE *SUPERVISION AND COURT DIVERSION BRANCH LOCATIONS COURT PROCEEDINGS FAQs DISCLAIMER: The Lake County Circuit Clerk's Office does not give legal advice. The above is intended for informational purposes only. For legal advice please consult an Attorney.