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District Court - Civil Infractions
Civil infractions are ticket cases for traffic offenses. A driver who receives a civil infraction citation has three options:
- Admit responsibility and pay the ticket (this includes admitting responsibility with an explanation of the circumstances to the court)
- Request an Informal Hearing (a hearing wherein the officer and the driver testify as to their respective versions of the event, after which the judge or magistrate makes a ruling on responsibility)
- Request a Formal Hearing (a hearing conducted much like a bench trial where the driver may be represented by an attorney and the People of the State of Michigan are represented by the assistant prosecutor)
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office is involved in Formal Hearings for tickets issued under State Law.
If a ticket is issued under a city or local ordinance, then the local ordinance attorney handles the matter.
As mentioned above, Formal Hearings are very similar to bench trials in criminal cases in that witnesses are called to testify under oath and are questioned by the respective attorneys. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge renders a ruling as to the responsibility of the person who received the ticket.
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