Juvenile Traffic

Juvenile traffic matters are handled by the Mono County Juvenile Traffic Hearing Officer in the Informal Juvenile and Traffic Court.  This means, that if you are 17 years of age or younger and you receive a traffic citation or any citation you are promising to appear (when you sign the citation) before the Informal Juvenile and Traffic Court. 

Process:

  • Citation issued by a law enforcement officer (i.e. California Highway Patrol, Mammoth Lakes Police Department, Mono County Sherriff Department, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service).
  • The Probation Department receives the citation and sends the juvenile a formal letter to appear alongside their parents at the designated location, date and time.  In this formal letter an option of requesting a hearing to contest the allegations is presented.  This implies that the juvenile is allowed to write to the Probation Department expressing their desire to bring forth (subpoena) the citing officer to dispute the allegations.
  •  At the initial appearance the juvenile and their parents meet the Juvenile Traffic Hearing Officer.  The officer first formally reads the alleged violations.  Then the juvenile is read their rights.  The officer then allows the juvenile and parents to make a statement.  Once all evidence has been presented and all the officer’s questions have been answered, the officer makes a decision on the case.
  • At the sentencing, the officer may grant the juvenile traffic school, pay a fine, suspend license, delay their driver’s license, or dismiss the charges.  If traffic school or fine are ordered, the officer will provide the juvenile and their parents a due date.  Failure to satisfy the Court’s orders, the juvenile’s driver’s license may be suspended, revoked, delayed, or additional charges may be added.

In the event that the juvenile fails to appear before the Informal Juvenile and Traffic Court, the juvenile may have in their driving record a failure to appear and additional charges may be imposed.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Probation Department and request to speak to the Traffic Hearing Officer. 

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