In most cases, you will be able to handle your ticket(s) in one of three ways. You may plead:
- No Contest
- Guilty
- Not Guilty
Municipal Court Plea Procedures and Options
No Contest
If you plead no contest, you may be eligible to have the ticket dismissed by either applying for:
Guilty
If you plead guilty, payment of the fine plus applicable court costs must be paid, and a conviction will be recorded on your driving record.
Not Guilty
You may plead not guilty, in which case a trial will be held before the court and the issuing officer will be present. The judge will determine guilt or innocence. A judgment of guilty will result in a fine being assessed and a conviction will be recorded on your driving record.
Once testimony begins, you lose the right to apply for defensive driving or deferred disposition.
Tickets for No Insurance
If you received a ticket for no insurance, the court will dismiss the ticket if you show adequate proof that you were insured when you received the ticket. The court requires proof of insurance to be the policy or declaration page (not the card) that was in effect when you received the ticket.