PROVINCIAL OFFENCES COURT

A ticket to appear under the POA:

In general, a “traffic ticket” is considered a minor regulatory offence made up of two categories. For minor offences, there will be a set fine for the ticket. For more serious offences, the ticket will be in the form of a summons which will require you to attend court where your guilt or innocence will be determined and penalties may be imposed.

When you receive a traffic ticket, some of the following options may be available to you:

You could do nothing –  which is not recommended because if you fail to pay the fine within the set time, you may be convicted. This conviction may lead to further consequences such as: a higher fine than the set fine, a suspended driver’s license, an accumulation of demerit points, higher insurance premiums, etc.

Options available to you:

1) You can choose to pay the set fine without going to court, which admits that you are guilty of the offence and tarnishes your driving record.

2) You can go to court and enter a guilty plea with submissions to request a reduced penalty.

3) You can proceed to court and enter a plea of not guilty and fight the charge. The Prosecution may provide you with a resolution offer (may result in a lower charge – recommended) or choose to conduct a full trial (where you may be found not guilty and face no consequences).

Before you pay the set fine or decide to plead guilty in court, you should always consider the following consequences:

• Demerit points
• Insurance premiums
• Licence suspensions
• Vehicle impoundment
• Fines
• Imprisonment
• Civil liability

While you may not be facing criminal charges for your provincial offence (such as a traffic ticket), it is always advisable to fight the charge against you because the conviction will remain on your driving record for 3-5 years. You will not be pardoned for these types of convictions.

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