The Arizona Traffic Court is a specific court system set up to deal with tickets and other traffic offenses. This court is governed by Arizona’s Supreme Court and includes judges and other staff members, just like other Arizona courts. If you get a ticket and need to appear in court, Arizona traffic court is most likely where you’ll end up.

Duties of the Court

The Arizona Traffic Court is officially responsible for giving all defendants a fair trial. There are traffic courts in all parts of the state, so you won’t have to travel too far from your home to attend your court date. You’ll first begin with a pre-trial conference, which you don’t have to attend if you have a lawyer representing you. The Arizona court will set your court day, usually about a month after the pre-trial conference, depending on the current court schedule.

Although it is the duty of the Arizona court to give you a fair trial, you do not have the right to a trial by jury in most cases. You’re only allowed a jury trial if your ticket involved drugs, alcohol, prostitution or other indecency, theft, or a hit and run. Otherwise, the court is only obligated to provide you with a fair bench trial, in which a judge will decide the verdict. 

Services Provided

Other than deciding your case, the Arizona Traffic Court provides a number of services to drivers in this state. First and foremost, the court will handle the appointment of lawyers. If you’re set to go to trial and cannot afford an attorney, the Arizona court will appoint one if your sentence could possible involve jail time. Otherwise, you can represent yourself or hire a lawyer.

The Arizona Traffic Court also is responsible for issuing your sentencing and making sure that you carry out the penalties. Most of the time, this is simply the payment of fines, which you can do by mail, phone, or online through the traffic court’s website (in some cases). The court has the power to impose late fees, contact your insurance company and credit bureaus, issue warrants for your arrest, and send your case to a collection agency if necessary.

Not every service the Arizona court provides is “bad” though – they are, at the core, interested in helping victims. If you were the victim of any crime on the roads, you should all the police, and the Arizona Traffic Court will gather your information. They have a victim’s center online for anyone with more questions, or you can call your local branch today to learn more about your rights as a victim.