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When you receive a citation please read the information on the front and back of the citation thoroughly. You have four options available to you when responding to the violation(s) on your citation:
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Appear in Court – the time and date you are to appear in Court is on the front of your citation, at the very bottom. You should arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time. Please be aware that it is first come first serve so just because your citation lists a time doesn’t mean that you will be seen at that exact time. Check-in for Court starts at 2:15 p.m., and the Judge takes the bench at 2:30 p.m. You should be aware of your rights when appearing in front of the Court.
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Appear in person - at the City Hall front desk prior to your court date or no later than noon on your scheduled court date to pay your base fine amount, as indicated on the front of your citation, in full or to set-up a payment agreement. Based on your driving record, and the type of offense, the clerk may or may not be able to assess a fine lower than your full fine amount.
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Enter a Plea by Written Appearance - You may enter the following pleas:
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Guilty
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Not Guilty
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No Contest
On the back of your citation, complete the required information for either option 2 or 3 and mail, or bring your citation to the Court, along with payment of the full fine amount.
A Guilty plea waives your right to a trial.
A No Contest plea will result in a hearing where the officer will be present to testify before the Judge and then the judge will make his determination after listening to the testimony. The defendant is not given an opportunity to testify on his/her behalf.
A Not Guilty plea will result in a trial and you will be notified, by mail, of the trial date.
When mailing in payments, please make your check or money order payable to the City of Milwaukie, and write your citation number on the payment for reference.
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Trial by Affidavit – Court does not allow at this time.
Need assistance reading your citation?
The purpose of an arraignment is to tell the Judge how you wish to proceed with your case.
Arraignments are scheduled two Wednesday’s a month. Starting at 2:30 p.m. Cases are heard on a first come first serve basis.
You are allowed to re-schedule your arraignment date, one time only, and it must be re-scheduled for the next court date. You can re-schedule your court date anytime before noon on your Court date by calling the Court clerks at 503-786-7531 or 503-786-7530.
You have three options at your arraignment:
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You can plead GUILTY. You can offer an explanation to the Judge. The Judge will consider your explanation, driving record, and the seriousness of the violation in setting your fine amount.
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You can plead NO CONTEST. This means you are not contesting the charge or the evidence offered by the City. The court clerk will set you for a hearing. During the hearing the officer who issued the citation is present to provide testimony to the Judge. The defendant cannot present any evidence or give testimony at a No Contest Hearing. The Judge will then make his determination based on the officer's testimony, your driving record, and the seriousness of the violation.
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You can plead NOT GUILTY. If you wish to contest the charge against you the Court Clerk will set a trial date. You will be given the date and time you will need to appear in court. You should be at the Court at least 5-10 minutes before your scheduled time.
If you have further questions regarding the handling of your traffic citation, parking ticket, or city ordinance violation, please send to or contact the court clerk at 503-786-7531 or 503-786-7530.
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