Marlo Ross, Judge
D. W. Burkhalter, Court Clerk
Margarito Perez - Spanish Language Interepeter
No. There is no requirement that you have an attorney. However, you do have the right to be represented by an attorney if you so choose. The choice as to whether or not you have an attorney is left strictly up to you.
I have been ordered to appear before the Municipal Court. I have q question regarding my appearance. Is there a phone number I can call for additional information?
Yes. You can contact the Court Clerk by calling (912) 384-2222. Note: The Clerk WILL NOT give you legal advice concerning your case!! Information will be supplied as to the time/date of your appearance and if necessary, information on the general operation of the Court.
I have been ordered to appear before the Municipal Court. I have a true conflict with my court date. Is it possible to change the date I appear?
In most cases- yes. If there is a genuine need to reset the court date, the Clerk can talk with you about this. While there may be some cases where a continuance is not possible, generally the court will work with you.
If I plead not guilty, will I have to pay additional court costs?
No. You can have your case decided in Municipal Court without additional court costs, regardles of the outcome of the case.
I have received a traffic citation or have been charged with a misdemeanor offense and have been assigned a court date. What are my options in Municpal Court?
There are four basic options in Municipal Court:
1. Plead Guilty
2. Plead Not Guilty and have your case heard by the Municipal Court Judge.
3. Plead Not Guilty and demand trial by jury. (your case will be reset before the State Court)
4. Plead Nolo Contendere (acceptance to this plea is at the discretion of the Judge).
I want a trial by jury. Can my trial be held in the Municipal Court?
No. The City of Douglas Municipal Court does not hold jury trials. Cases which are set for jury trial are transferred to the State Court of Coffee County and will be heard at a date and time scheduled by that Court.
Will traffic citations disposed of in Municipal Court be reflected on my driver history information kept at the Department of Public Safety?
Yes. All traffic citations which meet reporting creiteria and which result in ajudication of guilty, pleas of guilty or pleas of Nolo Contendere are reported to the Georgia Department of Driver Services by the Court Clerk. If you are an out-of-state resident, this information is forwarded by Georgia DDS to your home state.
I have been charged with violating the City of Douglas Truck Route Ordinance. Is this an offense which will be reported to the Department of Public Safety? Will it go on my MVR?
No. This is a local ordinance which does not meet criteria for submission to the DPS. This information will be retained on a local history only.
If I miss my court date, will my drivers license be suspended?
In most cases, yes. If you fail to make your scheduled court date and have not gotten permission from the Court to do so, the Clerk will file the necessary documents to issue a bench warrant for your arrest, will have the warrant entered into the Georgia Crime Information Center database and will notify the Georgia Department of Driver Services to begin action to suspended your drivers license until the citation has been disposed of. Since this is an automated system, the notices can go on your record in as little as 24 hours from the Court date. If a bench warrant is issued, there will be additional costs added to your case, in most cases $50.00 per citation that you missed court on. If a bench warrant issues and you are stopped in another jurisdiction and are held for pickup by a Douglas Police Officer, you will bear the expense of transporting you back to Douglas to stand trial.