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1. May I complete traffic school?

The Hurricane Justice Court does not offer a traffic school. If you are seeking to keep charges off of your record, you will need to set a court date. Further instruction will be given to you by the Judge when you appear. If you are seeking to reduce existing points from your driver's license, you may want to contact the Utah Safety Council regarding the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving course.

2. How do I contest my ticket?

You will need to contact the court to schedule an arraignment.

3. What if I need to make payments?

If your charges do not require a mandatory court appearance, you may contact the Court Administrator to discuss a clerk extension or payment plan options.

4. What if I live out of state?

Contact the court to discuss whether your case qualifies for a plea by mail.

5. What qualifies as an appearance?

If you received a citation, it states you are required to "appear" between 5 to 14 days. The court clerk will inform you of the options available in your case. The appearance is satisfied when you pay the fine in full or appear at your scheduled court date.

6. May I contact the court before five days?

We ask that you not contact the court until the fifth day following your citation. This allows time for the officer to submit the citation to the court and time for the court clerk to enter your citation into the system. A court clerk cannot quote a fine amount, nor can he/she schedule your court date until after the citation has been entered.

7. What if I am unable to contact the court before 14 days?

It is the policy of this court to allow 21 calendar days from the date of the citation. After 21 days, the court will begin the delinquent process which may result in one or more of the following consequences:

• Late fees and/or an additional charge of failure to appear (a class B Misdemeanor) will be added to your case.
• A suspension of your driver's license may be requested and a warrant of arrest may be issued.

8. May I reschedule my court date?

A written motion to continue is required at least ten calendar days prior to any scheduled Bench Trial, Jury Trial, Order to Show Cause, or Suppression hearing. The Judge has the final say in granting or denying your request. If granted, you will be notified of your new hearing date by mail. An arraignment may be rescheduled one time by the court clerk. Any subsequent rescheduling will require documentation supporting your request (doctor's note, etc.) and will require Judge's approval. A pre-trial review hearing may be rescheduled only after you have notified the prosecuting attorney, allowing them to advise the court whether they have any objections to your motion.

9. May I contact the prosecuting attorney?

The court will not refer you to speak with the prosecuting attorney until you have entered a plea on your case and waived your right to counsel. If you are represented by a defense attorney neither the prosecutor, nor the court, may discuss your case with you without your attorney being present.

10. May I speak with the Judge?

The Judge will not discuss your case with you unless the prosecutor is present. Nor will he speak with the prosecutor regarding your case unless you are present. This would be considered ex-parte communication and is not allowed. If you wish to speak with the Judge, you will need to schedule a hearing.

11. May I perform community service in lieu of my fines?

You will need to schedule a court appearance to discuss this with the Judge. If you qualify for this option, you will be given an order/referral in court with specific instructions on how to proceed.

12. May I have an attorney appointed?

You will need to schedule a court appearance. The Judge may place you under oath to answer questions allowing him to determine whether or not you qualify for court appointed counsel.

13. How do I get my charge(s) expunged?

You will need to contact the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification on the web or call 801-965-4445. Once you have obtained your certificate of eligibility from BCI, you may contact the court for further instructions.

14. How do I file a Small Claim?

If you have questions regarding a small claims matter you may obtain self-help information and forms at the Utah State Courts website.