Civil Traffic Information

Traffic Complaint

The civil traffic complaint (“ticket”) you received includes a date and time for your Court hearing. You must appear on that date and time.

At your Court hearing, you must decide how you want to handle the violation(s) you have been cited for. Generally, there are three (3) options:

OPTION #1: Defensive Driving School (DDS)

If you received a civil traffic moving violation, you may be eligible to attend Defensive Driving School (DDS) and have the violation dismissed. This means the violation will not be included on your driving record and no points will be assessed to you for the violation upon successful completion. By attending DDS, you waive your right to a hearing on that violation. If you have been cited for more than one violation on your ticket, only one violation may be dismissed by attending DDS.

To determine if a violation is eligible for DDS, you may visit: https://www.azcourts.gov/drive/Defensive-Driving-Schools. You are not eligible to attend DDS if you have attended a Defensive Driving Program in Arizona within the last twelve (12) months.

OPTION #2: Plea of Responsible (Guilty)

A plea of “Responsible” means that you are accepting responsibility for committing the violation(s) and any penalties associated with the violation(s). You will not have a trial, although you will have a chance to explain your actions to the Court before the imposition of any fine.

Defendants can opt to pay the amount of the fine by mail, online, or in-person on or before the scheduled Court date.

OPTION #3: Plea of Not Responsible (Not Guilty)

A plea of “Not Responsible” means that you are denying the violation(s) against you. Your case will be set for a Civil Traffic Hearing at a future date, at which you and the Police Officer will each tell your side of the story. The Judge will listen to all of the evidence, and then decide whether you violated the law.

If you received a complaint with more than one charge, you will need to enter a plea for each charge. You are not required to enter the same plea for all charges.

Civil Traffic Hearing

If you requested a Civil Traffic Hearing, you must appear on the date and time it is scheduled for. The Court does not appoint attorneys for civil traffic violations. Therefore, you may present your own case or be represented by an attorney at your own expense. If you decide to have an attorney represent you, the Court must be notified in writing at least ten (10) days prior to your hearing. Failure to do so may result in a waiver of the right to be represented by an attorney.

A Civil Traffic Hearing is similar to a trial, but there generally will not be a prosecutor present to represent the State. The State's witnesses will testify first. After each witness has testified, you will have an opportunity to ask the witness questions. After the State's witnesses have testified, you may present your case. You may call other witnesses who know something about the incident to testify for you. You may testify on your own behalf. In addition, you may present other evidence such as documents, photographs, etc. The Hearing Officer or Judge may also question you, the police officer, and other witnesses, to find out what happened. The burden of proof required for a Hearing Officer or Judge to make a finding of responsible is preponderance of the evidence. The Hearing Officer or Judge will listen to the facts presented at your hearing and decide whether it is more probable or not that you committed the civil violation alleged on your complaint.

If you are found "responsible", the Hearing Officer or Judge will indicate what your penalty will be. If the Hearing Officer or Judge's sentence includes a fine, payment in full is expected on the day of sentencing. Payment may be made by cash, debit/credit card, cashier’s check, certified check, and money order. If you meet certain financial requirements, you may be allowed some time to pay. However, a time payment fee will be added to the amount that you owe.

Failing to Appear For Your Court Date

If you fail to appear for your scheduled hearing, the allegations of the civil traffic complaint are deemed admitted, and the Court must enter a judgment for the State, impose a civil sanction or penalty, and report such judgment to the Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). The MVD may suspend your driver's license and/or your privilege to drive, or take further action, which may result in additional fines and fees that need to be paid in order to have your driver's license or privilege to drive reinstated.

Right To Appeal

You have the right to appeal a final decision of this Court by filing a Notice of Appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days of the judgment of responsible. You are not required to pay the fine or post the bond to exercise your right to appeal. However, if you choose not to pay the fine or post the bond on the day the final judgment is entered, or make arrangements to pay with the Court, the Court will enter a default judgment against you and additional fees will be assessed.

An appeal is a legal process in which a higher court (Pinal County Superior Court) reviews the decision of a lower court (Coolidge Municipal Court) based on the audio record of your hearing. An appeal is not a retrial of your case, and you cannot present new evidence or testimony. You are responsible for all appeal charges/fees.