Traffic Cases

Arraignment
All traffic cases are set for arraignment at 3:00 p.m. on the Thursday following the citation. At the arraignment, the Court reviews the Juvenile’s rights, reads and explains the citation to the Juvenile and parent(s) and reviews the consequences for the citation. If the Juvenile denies the traffic violation, the matter is scheduled for a pretrial.

Pretrial
A pretrial is conference with the Prosecutor’s Office. A pretrial is scheduled to determine if the parties can reach agreement regarding the traffic citation. If the parties cannot reach agreement, the matter is then scheduled for a trial.

Adjudication/Trial
A trial is a hearing where the State of Ohio must prove the traffic violation. The Court makes a determination if the child is a juvenile traffic offender after hearing all of the evidence from both sides of the case.

Disposition
Following the adjudication/trial, the Court decides what action will be taken with the Juvenile. If the Juvenile is found to be a juvenile traffic offender, the Court may assess fines, court costs and points, order probation, restrict driving privileges, or require attendance at driving classes. Where there is insufficient evidence that the Juvenile has violated a traffic law, the Court will dismiss the case.