Court
Civil Traffic
The Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Court has jurisdiction over civil traffic violations committed within the boundaries of the Community.
The information provided below is to provide you with an overview of our process and the options available to you when you receive a civil traffic citation.
If you were cited for a Civil Traffic Violation, you have the following two options: 1) Accept Responsibility and pay the fine in full or 2) Deny Responsibility and appear for your arraignment.
- Accept Responsibility – Pay the Fine in Full – You have the option to mail in your payment, pay in person at the Court using cash/debit/credit, or pay online. Once your payment is received, your case will be closed.
- Deny Responsibility and Appear at your Arraignment – On the bottom of your citation is your arraignment date and time. If you choose not to pay your fine in full by this date you must appear in person at the SRPMIC Tribal Court, failure to appear will result in a default judgment against you and your case will be sent to collections.
What to Expect at the Civil Traffic Arraignment Hearing
At your arraignment, the judge will:
- Confirm your true name and address
- Advise you of the civil violation(s) that you are charged with
- Inform you of the fine amount associated with your charge(s)
- Ask you how you would like to plead to the charge(s)
On the arraignment date, the Judge will not be able to hear testimony from you or your witnesses. If you present proof of insurance or registration for the violation date, the Judge may dismiss such charges at this time, but the Judge will not have the authority to dismiss other types of violations at the arraignment date.
Plea of Responsible – You admit you committed the violation and will pay your fine in full. The case is then closed.
Plea of Not Responsible – A plea of Not Responsible means you are denying guilt and are requesting a Civil Traffic Bench Trial. This trial will be scheduled at a future date. This will give you the opportunity to plead your case and question any witnesses. The Judge will determine if you are responsible for the charges based on the evidence provided by you and the Community. If you are found responsible, the Judge will issue the sanction based on your charge.
Forms
Both the Civil Traffic Pamphlet and the Fine Schedule can be found below.
Civil Traffic Pamphlet [PDF]