What To Do If Your Child Gets a Traffic Ticket in Kane County

First Things First: Don’t Panic, Read the Ticket
Start by reading the ticket carefully. There will be instructions on the ticket telling you what you should or should not do. Information such as:

• The court date and time
• The location of court
• Basic directions on how to proceed are generally printed right on the ticket. Kane County has three traffic branch courts, and the ticket will show which one applies to your child’s case.
  

If Your Child Is Under 18, They Must Appear
If your child is under 18 years of age, they do have to appear in court. That court appearance:

• Can be done in person, or
• Can be done online (for example, by Zoom or other remote appearance)
  

Decide Your Goal: Resolve or Contest
Before you go to court, think about what you and your child are trying to do:

• Are you looking to resolve the case by some type of agreement?
• Or are you looking to actually contest the case?

Knowing this ahead of time will help you understand what you are asking for when your case is called.

Know There May Be Consequences to Driving Privileges
It is important to understand that there can be consequences to your child’s driving privileges if there is a plea of guilty or a finding of guilty. Some tickets have no consequence but others have significant consequences.

Because of this, it is very important to be prepared ahead of time and to know what the possible consequences could be before you go to court. Keep in mind that the court does not handle how the ticket will ultimately affect your child’s driving privileges. That part is handled outside of what the judge does in the courtroom.

Consider Talking to an Attorney Before Court
If you have questions about how the ticket might affect your child’s license, that is something you would need to discuss with an attorney before going to court. An attorney can help explain the possible outcomes and assist you in deciding how to proceed.

Preparing Your Child for a Formal Court Proceeding
When your child appears in traffic court—whether in person or online—they are in a formal proceeding. It is important that they:

• Dress appropriately
• Answer questions with simple, respectful responses such as “yes,” “no,” “yes, sir,” “no, sir” (or as appropriate to the person speaking)
• Pay attention to everything that is going on while they are in court

The same level of attentiveness and respect is expected whether the appearance is at a branch court or through a Zoom/online session.
To learn more about Zoom Court and to attend your online court hearing, go to KaneCourt.org and select Join Zoom Court.

Online Payment 
In some situations, you can pay online.

For parents of a child who is going to traffic court, it is very important to understand:

• The possible consequences the ticket can have on your child’s driver’s license, and
• The need to educate yourself before you go to court
  

Again, some tickets have no consequence, and some have significant consequences. Being informed in advance helps you make better decisions about how to handle the case.

These tips are excerpts provided by Judge Cruz in the video: What To Do If Your Child Gets a Traffic Ticket."
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