This section provides general information about traffic and nontraffic
misdemeanor matters.
The information provided in the Self-Help Center is not legal advice.
The laws of Michigan do not allow the employees of the court or the
judge to give you legal advice. You should consult with an attorney
concerning legal issues. Unless you waive the right to an attorney,
you must be represented by an attorney in a traffic or non-traffic misdemeanor
case.
The following is a brief description of a traffic and nontraffic misdemeanor
case. There is no specific information available in this Self-Help Center
to aid you with the entire legal process.
A traffic or nontraffic misdemeanor case begins when a law enforcement
officer issues a Uniform Law Citation (ticket) claiming you have violated
a state law or a local ordinance (local law) when the penalty for that
offense includes a jail sentence for 93 days or less. In these situations,
no warrant is necessary for your arrest. If you are arrested for a violation
for which the penalty exceeds 93 days in jail, the charge cannot be issued
on a ticket and the prosecutor must authorize the filing of a complaint.
If the defendant has not already been arrested, a warrant for arrest will
be issued as well.
The law enforcement officer is usually considered the complainant and
issues the ticket or the police report that produces a complaint and
warrant for the plaintiff. The plaintiff is either the People of the
State of Michigan or a city, village, township, or other local government
unit and is represented by the prosecutor. If you receive a ticket or
are arrested on a misdemeanor warrant, you are considered the defendant.
Types of Traffic and Nontraffic Misdemeanor Cases
Some of the more common traffic and nontraffic misdemeanor cases are
assault and battery, vandalism, shoplifting, trespassing, prostitution,
disorderly conduct, reckless driving, and first or second drunk driving
offenses. They are usually handled by the district court closest to
where the crime occurred.
What Happens If You are Arrested
If you have been arrested for breaking a criminal law and a ticket
is not issued, you will be promptly taken to the district court for
an arraignment. You will be held by the police or sheriff until a
bond is set and/or the arraignment takes place. The arresting police
department will know where and when the arraignment will take place.
The arraignment is held before a district court judge or magistrate.
At the arraignment, the judge or magistrate will explain to you (the
defendant) the charges, your constitutional rights, and the possible
consequences if you plead guilty or are convicted after trial of the
charge. You will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty, or you may
stand mute. If bond was not previously set, the court will determine
whether you can be released on bond and, if so, will set the bail
amount and collect the bail.
The court may appoint an attorney to represent you if you are unable
to afford an attorney. In a criminal case, a defendant who is unable
to afford an attorney has the right to court-appointed counsel if
the offense charged requires on conviction a minimum term in jail,
or the court determines that it might sentence the defendant to jail.
If you do not plan to hire your own attorney, you should ask the court
if you qualify for court-appointed counsel. See information about
court appointed
attorney >>.
If you have been stopped for drinking and driving, you may be charged
with one of three misdemeanor offenses. The first is operating while
intoxicated, the second offense is operating while visibly impaired,
and the third offense is operating with any alcohol content in the
body (applies only to persons under 21 years of age). You may also
be charged with operating under the influence of drugs. There are
also felony offenses involving drunk driving, including operating
while intoxicated or operating while visibly impaired causing death
or serious injury, and child endangerment.
If you are a Michigan resident and are arrested for drinking and
driving, the law enforcement officer will take and destroy your driver's
license. The officer will provide you with a temporary Michigan driving
permit until your case is resolved.
If you are stopped for drinking and driving by a law enforcement
officer, you may be asked to take a breath test while on the road.
This breath test is called a PBT or a preliminary breath test. If
you refuse to take the PBT, a civil infraction ticket may be issued
for refusing to take the breath test.
You will be taken to a police department to take a breathalyzer test.
If you refuse, your driver's license may be suspended.
Bail and Types of Bonds
A person, called a defendant, who is arrested for breaking a criminal
law, may be held until a bail amount is set or an arraignment is held
by a judge or magistrate. Posting a bond is a promise that the defendant
will appear in court when required and will refrain from any activity
the judge or magistrate orders.
The four types of bonds are: a personal recognizance bond, a cash
bond, a ten-percent bond, and a surety bond, and are explained below:
- When the court sets a personal recognizance bond, the defendant
is released after making a promise to return to court when required.
No money is paid.
- A cash bond is a money guarantee that the defendant will return
to court when required. When a cash bond is set, the defendant must
pay the full bail amount to the court before being released from
jail.
- Another type of bond is a ten-percent bond. In this bond, the
court will accept payment of ten percent of the full bail amount
as a guarantee that the defendant will appear as required. If the
defendant does not appear, the court will require payment of the
remaining ninety percent.
- The last type of bond is a surety bond. A surety bond is a promise
made by an approved bondsman that the defendant will appear as required.
A bondsman must prove to the court that he or she has sufficient
financial resources to pay the full bail amount if the defendant
does not appear as required.
Money or property that is posted for a bond might not be returned when
the case is over. The court may apply cash and ten-percent bond money
posted by the defendant to pay any outstanding court fines, costs, or
other assessments.
Regardless of the type of bond, if the defendant does not return
to court as promised, the court will issue an arrest warrant and the
bond money will be forfeited. In addition, the defendant may be held
responsible for paying the remaining unpaid bail amount.
What if You are Issued a Traffic or Nontraffic Misdemeanor Ticket
Instead of Getting Arrested
If you have received a ticket, follow the directions on the ticket.
It is important to read both sides of the ticket. The ticket will
state your rights and tell you what you need to do to respond to the
ticket, including how and where to appear. You can dispute the ticket
at a trial. To request a trial you must do what it says on the back
of the ticket.
If you are under the age of 17 and have received a misdemeanor traffic
ticket, you must appear at the court specified on the ticket, which
may be either the district court or the family division of the circuit
court. You will be notified to appear for a preliminary hearing. At
the preliminary hearing, you will plead guilty, not guilty, or you
may stand mute and be notified of the next hearing date. Your parents
or legal guardian should be present during all proceedings. If you
fail to appear for the hearing, an order may be issued to the police
to bring you to court.
If you are 17 years of age or older and have received a misdemeanor
ticket, you are usually required to go to court for an arraignment.
If you plead not guilty or stand mute, you will be scheduled for a pretrial
conference with the prosecutor. You may have an attorney represent you
at the pretrial conference. If you cannot resolve the ticket at the
pretrial conference, you may have a trial before a judge or jury. If
you do not appear in court when scheduled to do so, a warrant will be
issued for your arrest.
Processing Traffic and Nontraffic Misdemeanor Cases
Traffic and nontraffic misdemeanor tickets are filed in court by the
law enforcement officer who issued the tickets and complaints are filed
by the prosecutor. It is your responsiblity to respond to the ticket
or an order to appear.
If a hearing is required, you may be represented by an attorney and
have a right to a trial by a judge or jury. You may want to talk to
an attorney prior to your hearing. The prosecutor or city attorney
must prove that you are guilty.
Penalties for Traffic and Nontraffic Misdemeanors
If convicted of a misdemeanor, you may be sentenced to jail.
If you are 17 years of age or older and are convicted of a traffic
misdemeanor, you may be required to pay a fine and costs. Points will
be added to your driving record by the Secretary of State, and some
convictions may result in jail sentences. You may also be ordered
to attend counseling, a driver safety course, or other program.
If you are under 17 years of age and found responsible for a traffic
misdemeanor, you may be put on probation, be sent to a driver improvement
course, and points will be added to your driving record. If a hearing
is required, you may be represented by an attorney and have a right
to a trial by a judge or jury. The prosecutor must prove that you
are guilty.
If you are 17 years of age or older and have been convicted of an
offense, your sentence may include probation. Probation allows you
to live in the community as long as you follow certain rules set by
the court. If any of the rules are violated, a warrant for your arrest
may be issued and the judge may re-sentence you. As an example of
a probationary sentence, the judge may decide that so long as you
are not arrested again, and regularly meet with your probation officer,
you may not have to serve a jail or prison sentence.
Points are added to your driving record by the Secretary of State
as required by law if you are found guilty of most traffic misdemeanors.
The court does not assign points and cannot dismiss or waive them.
Many convictions will result in additional fees assessed by the Secretary
of State, ranging from $50.00 to $1,000.00 for each year the points
remain on the driving record. These fees, payable to the Secretary
of State, are in addition to fines and costs assessed by the court.
Points remain on a driver's record for two years from the date of
the finding of responsibility or conviction, and the offense appears
on the driving record for seven to ten years depending upon the type
of offense. Convictions and accidents may also affect car insurance
rates.
Depending on the offense, or if a person gets too many points, the
Secretary of State may put the driver on probation or suspend or revoke
his or her license.
If you want to find out the number of points on your driving record,
call 517-322-1460. You cannot obtain this information about another
person's driving record.
If you want to obtain a copy of your driving record, contact your
local Secretary of State branch office. There may be a charge for
this service and it may take up to four weeks. If you are in the Lansing
area, you can obtain a copy of your driving record at the Secretary
of State office located at 7064 Crowner Drive, Lansing, Michigan.
