Arizona Laws 28-1558. Traffic complaints; disposition; records
A. On issuing a traffic complaint to an alleged violator of any provision of the motor vehicle laws of this state or of any traffic ordinance of any city or town, each traffic enforcement officer shall deposit the original or a copy of the traffic citation with a court having jurisdiction over the alleged offense or with its traffic violations bureau.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 28-1558
- Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- State: means a state of the United States and the District of Columbia. See Arizona Laws 28-101
- Traffic: means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles and other conveyances either singly or together while using a highway for purposes of travel. See Arizona Laws 28-1501
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
B. On the deposit of the original or a copy of the traffic complaint with a court having jurisdiction over the alleged offense or with its traffic violations bureau, the original or copy of the traffic complaint may be disposed of only by trial in the court or other official action by a judge of the court or a hearing officer, including forfeiture of the bail or by the deposit of sufficient bail with or payment of a fine or civil penalty to the traffic violations bureau by the person to whom the traffic complaint was issued.
C. It is unlawful and official misconduct for any traffic enforcement officer or other officer or public employee to dispose of a traffic complaint or copies of a traffic complaint or of the record of the issuance of the complaint or copies in a manner other than as required by this article.
D. The chief administrative officer of each traffic enforcement agency shall require the return to the chief administrative officer of:
1. A copy of each traffic complaint issued by an officer under the chief administrative officer’s supervision to an alleged violator of any traffic law or ordinance.
2. All copies of each traffic complaint that is spoiled or on which any entry has been made and not issued to an alleged violator.