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Hello, I will be your guide and will explain certain issues about going to Traffic Court.
This video will focus on Suspended License Offenses. Be sure to read all the information
linked to from this website by clicking on the links below. If you have a Suspended License
Offense, that means you have been charged with driving on a suspended or revoked driver’s
license. Either of these is a criminal violation. There are many reasons that a person’s driver’s
license might be suspended. Some are simple things to correct, like failing to have an
emissions test or not having insurance. Other’s are more serious, like having been convicted
of driving under the influence. Before you go to court, you can learn the reason for
your suspension or revocation by contacting the Secretary of State’s Office. Because
of the serious nature of these types of offenses, you are entitled to an attorney. If you would
like to hire an attorney, the judge will grant you time to do so. The judge or state or local
bar association may be able to refer you to an attorney. In some jurisdictions, if you
cannot afford an attorney, tell the judge, and he or she may appoint a lawyer from the
public defender’s office to represent you, depending on your income level. Be sure to
see the information on this website about finding an attorney. In addition to an attorney,
you also have other rights. The law says you are innocent until the state proves you guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt. You have the right to a trial, whether it be a jury trial or
a trial before a judge. We see the Defendant going through the process described by the
Presenter. When you go to court, check in with the judge’s clerk. Then take a seat
and wait for your case to be called. If you have any papers with you to help you support
your case, have them out and ready. The clerk will call your name in the order in which
you have checked in. Lawyers are an exception to this. They will be called first so that
they will be available to try other cases in other courtrooms, if necessary. Once your
name is called, step up to the bench. This is your first court date and is not the time
to try to explain the facts of your case. The first court date is to determine the charges
and schedule a trial, if one is requested. Listen to the judge and answer any questions
that the judge may ask. The first court date is to determine the charges and schedule a
trial, if one is requested. If you go to trial, you are not required to explain your side
of the case, and neither the judge nor a jury can hold this against you. The judge will
advise you of the charges pending against you. The judge will ask the State’s Attorney
what the basis is for your suspension or revocation. If the suspension or revocation can be cleared
by you, the judge will continue your case to give you an opportunity to clear the suspension
and come back to court with a valid license. If the matter cannot be cleared and the state
is not seeking a sentence of jail time, the judge will ask the State’s Attorney to make
you an offer in exchange for a guilty plea. If you accept this offer, then the case will
proceed with the formal guilty plea before the court. If you do not want to accept this
offer, then a plea of not guilty will be entered, and the matter will be set for trial. There
different kinds of punishment available to the judge if you plead guilty or are found
guilty. If convicted for a suspended license offense, you could be sentenced up to 364
days in jail, fined up to $2,500, or some combination of both. Many suspended license
offense cases are postponed to allow you to have your license reinstated. If you can do
this, often the case will be dismissed. Be sure to see the additional information on
this website about sentences and about getting your license reinstated. We hope this video
helped answer some of your questions about going to court for a suspended license offense.
Be sure to see the information on this website about finding an attorney. Be sure to explore
resources that can help you. Contact CARPLS, or the state or local bar association, and
Illinois Legal Aid Online for more legal information.