Traffic Court Process

After receiving a traffic ticket, you must contact the Court to either pay the ticket or set an appointment with the City Prosecutor within 14 days of the date of your ticket. If you fail to do so, a delinquent fee will be assessed and a warrant for your arrest will be issued.

If you wish to contest the ticket or enter into a Plea in Abeyance Agreement , or if you cannot pay the fine all at once and wish to make payments, you must meet with the City Prosecutor at the Courthouse. Do not call the City Attorney’s Office to discuss your case with the City Prosecutor . When you appear at the Courthouse you will have ample time to meet with the City Prosecutor to talk about your case. If you are unable to resolve the case, the case will be set for a Trial.

You may pay your ticket by mail by sending a check or money order to the Second District Court located at 425 North Wasatch Drive, Layton, Utah, 84041. You may also pay your ticket in person at the same address. If you pay in person, you will have the option to pay in full or to make payments. If you would like to pay online you may do so by logging on to https://www.utcourts.gov/ePayments/. If you have any questions regarding paying a ticket you may contact the Courthouse at (801) 444-4300.

PLEA IN ABEYANCE PROGRAM

If you qualify enter into and successfully complete the Plea in Abeyance program, the traffic case against you will be dismissed and therefore, the traffic violation will not be entered on your driving record as a conviction. If you fail to successfully complete the program by failing to pay the fee, failing to attend traffic school, or receiving a new violation in the 12-month plea in abeyance period, you will be convicted, the conviction will be entered on your driving record, and you may also be required to pay the full fine.

To qualify:

1. The moving violation for which you were cited for cannot involve an accident or a collision.
2. You must have no moving violations on your driving record within the past 18 months, and you must not have more than two moving violations on your driving record in the last three years.
3. You must have a valid Utah driver license, or if you are serving on active duty in the military and have an out-of-state license, you must provide a copy of your driving record when you sign up for the program.

You must fulfill all of the following requirements to successfully complete the program:

1. Plead guilty or no contest to the moving violation.
2. Pay a non-refundable administrative fee to the Court. (This is a standard fee that may vary depending on the violation).
3. Pay for and attend Layton City Traffic School at the Layton Police Department within 90 days of entering into the Plea in Abeyance Program. The fee for Traffic School is $50.00.
4. Have no violation of Federal, State, or local laws, including minor traffic violations, for one year from the date you enter in the Plea in Abeyance Program. This includes any violation that is reportable on your driver license record. It does not include minor parking violations.
5. Keep the court and the City attorney's office informed of any change of address within the one year Plea in Abeyance period.

Criminal Court Process

If you have received a citation for a criminal offense, you must contact the Court within 14 days of the date of your citation . If you fail to do so, a delinquent fee will be assessed and a warrant for your arrest will issue.

If you have received a Summons, you must appear in Court on the date and time the summons orders. If the Summons contains an order that you go to the Davis County jail to be booked and released, you must do this prior to coming to Court. The Jail will record information on the Summons Order and you must bring your Summons to Court with you and turn it in.

Your first court appearance is an Arraignment. At your Arraignment, you will have the opportunity to either plead guilty or not guilty. If you want time to consult with an attorney before entering a plea, you should make that request to the Judge at the Arraignment. If you can’t afford to hire an attorney and if you meet specific financial requirements, at the Arraignment you may ask the Judge to appoint a Public Defender to represent you. This is an attorney appointed for you.

If you plead not guilty, the Court will set an appointment for you to meet with the Prosecutor to talk about your case (a Pre-Trial Conference). Do not call the City Attorney’s Office to discuss your case with the City Prosecutor . Appear at the Pre-trial Conference and you will have ample time to meet privately with the Prosecutor to talk about your case. If you are still unable to resolve the case, the case will be set for a Trial.

If you plead guilty, the Judge will either sentence you immediately or have you come back to Court to be sentenced at a later time.