Q: Please explain why my son is required to go to court, rather than paying the ticket and having insurance deal with it.
My son arrived in Lisle, Illinois for school just a few days ago, and will return to Massachusetts in 3 months. He received a citation today for "failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident." He was distracted and hit the car in front of him when traffic began moving. Why is he required to go to court? How should he prepare, and what should he expect?
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A:
Because the Illinois Supreme Court wrote the rules and determined that any accident ticket is a must appear.
I would suggest you find a local attorney in the county of the ticket and have that attorney appear in his place. Most judges allow this on minor traffic tickets. There is a good chance the ticket will be dropped since the other driver probably will not show up.
Juan Ooink agrees with this answer
A: Unfortunately, those are the rules. However, it is certainly possible for an attorney to appear on his behalf to address the situation. We often must appear for our clients in DuPage County because they reside out of state or for a variety of other reasons. As Mr. Harvatin indicated, the ticket may be entirely dismissed if the other party isn't present. Traffic school and a fine may be imposed if the ticket is not dismissed. Consult directly with an attorney to discuss the specifics.
Juan Ooink agrees with this answer
A: Those are the rules. He could hire an attorney to appear in court on his behalf or with him, but either he or his attorney must appear in court on the given court date.
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