Entering a Plea

Pleas

Information on entering a plea of guilty, no contest, or not guilty to the court can be found below.

• Access the Plea Form

Guilty

If you plead guilty, you should expect to be found guilty. The judge will impose a sentence that may include that you pay a forfeiture within a certain period of time and possibly other penalties, depending upon the type of violation.

No Contest

If you plead no contest, you are choosing not to contest the charge. A no contest plea cannot be used against you for liability purposes in other civil proceedings. Since you are not contesting the charge, you should expect to be found guilty. The judge will impose a sentence that may include that you pay a forfeiture within a certain period of time and possibly other penalties, depending upon the type of violation.

Not Guilty

You may plead not guilty in person or by mail. A mailed plea must be received by the court date and must clearly list your name, current address, and citation(s).

If you plead not guilty, your case will be scheduled for a trial. You will be mailed a letter from the court with the trial date as well as the prosecuting attorney's information. You are then responsible to contact the attorney in a timely manner to discuss the prosecuting attorney's information.

If a proposed resolution is reached, it will be presented to the judge. The Municipal Court judge is free to accept or reject the proposal. If you and the city prosecutor cannot come to an agreement, your case will be heard on the trial date scheduled.