![]() ![]() Not Guilty - Jury Trial - Your case will be docketed for a jury trial. When the Judge calls your name, stand, and let the Judge know how you want to plea. There are typically 5 options to resolve your case when called upon by the Judge. ![]() Some courts have sign in sheets when you arrive. Make sure your phone is on silent, and turn off your phone if instructed to do so by courtroom staff. If your tag is no longer expired, bring that proof with you. If you are charged with expired tag and you have proof the tag was renewed prior to the date of the citation, bring that proof with you. I have seen Judges lock the doors at the start time of court and either mark people as failing to appear or making them wait until the end of court for their case to be heard.īring any documents you have that might help your case with you. Remember, it takes time to park, go through security, and get to your courtroom. A good rule of thumb is to be at the courtroom 15 minutes before your scheduled court appearance. Failure to abide by the court’s dress code could result in you failing to appear in court as scheduled.Īrrive to court on time. Most courthouses have dress codes which require long pants or skirts (no shorts), covered shoulder, and close-toed shoes. Until you have written confirmation that your court date has been rescheduled or will be rescheduled, assume any absence is a failure to appear.ĭress appropriately. Requesting a rescheduled date or notifying the court does not mean that you are excused from court. It is your responsibility to notify the court if there is an emergency. It is your responsibility to reach out to the court if you need to reschedule your date. If you fail to appear at your court date, the court can issue a bench warrant for your arrest and tell the Georgia Department of Driver Services for failure to appear in court as directed. Every courthouse handles matters in a different manner, but this should give you a general idea what to expect before you arrive at court that day. This is a general blog, meaning it is based on a totality of experiences. This blog will serve to educate you on what happens at your first court date for traffic court in the State of Georgia. Traffic offenses can and are serious crimes in Georgia and while only the most severe charges will go n your criminal history, they can and will affect your driving history, insurance rates, and will make it more difficult to resolve future traffic citations. Additionally, a number of traffic offenses including all of the aforementioned charges as well as hit and run, racing, no insurance or no proof of insurance, and operating a motor vehicle while your registration is suspended will suspend your Georgia drivers license or privilege to drive in Georgia (if you live out of state) upon conviction. While most Georgia traffic charges will be punished by only a fine and points on your Georgia drivers license, there are other traffic charges like driving under the influence (DUI), driving without a license, driving while license suspended, and fleeing and eluding that carry mandatory jail time under the Georgia law if convicted of the offense as charged. Codified in Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia, the maximum punishment for all traffic offenses is 12 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. Traffic tickets, traffic citations, and traffic offenses are misdemeanor criminal offenses in the state of Georgia. ![]()
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