Traffic Information

 

BAIL   California courts are under no obligation to send bail notices; however, our court does mail a courtesy notice to the address written on the citation.  The notice indicates the bail amount, with or without proof of corrections if applicable.  You may forfeit the bail amount indicated on your notice unless your court appearance is mandatory.  You may send a personal check, certified bank check or money order in U.S. funds made payable to the SUPERIOR COURT at the address indicated by the appearance date shown on the bottom of your citation, DO NOT MAIL CASH.  PARTIAL PAYMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.  Forfeiture of  bail is the same as a conviction of the offense(s), and will close the case. If you fail to submit all required monies and documents to the court by your appearance or any continuance date you may have been granted by the court clerk or Judge, your case will be considered 'FTA' with an additional $340.00 added to your original bail.  Once your case goes to FTA and you still have not taken care of your case it will be turned over to GC Services for collections with an additional $300.00 civil assessment fee added to your bail. If your case has been turned over to GC Services, you MUST contact them to determine the total due.  Their phone number is 800-333-8395.  The local representative's number is (530) 458-5872.  You may make partial payments to GC Services in any amount; however, if there is a DMV hold on your driver's license the hold will not be released until you have paid GC Services in full with verified funds such as a cashier's check or money order.

BAIL REDUCTIONS   Court clerks cannot reduce bail or dismiss cases.  Request for bail reductions must be made in person before a Judge during a traffic arraignment calendar on Mondays at 1:00 P.M. Because of the volume of letters requesting bail reduction or dismissal, our Judges simply cannot read them.  It would be unfair for some to be read and not others.  Typically, bail is not reduced; however, if you enter your guilty or no contest plea before a judge he/she will give you an opportunity before sentencing to explain the circumstances of your citation.  This may or may not result in a reduction.

ENTERING PLEA THROUGH THE MAIL - IN ORDER TO MAKE PAYMENTS This method of dealing with your ticket is not available for those who will be attending traffic school. In order for the court to accept partial payments or defer your lump sum payment six (6) weeks, you must complete and return the plea form. (Click here for plea form)   Fill out the form completely and return to the court either along with your first monthly payment of $50.00 or your instruction to pay your total bail in one lump sum within six (6) weeks.  IF YOUR FORM IS NOT FILLED OUT COMPLETELY AND RETURNED TO THE COLUSA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, 532 OAK STREET, COLUSA, CALIFORNIA 95932 , ON OR BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED COURT DATE, YOU WILL NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER YOUR PLEA THROUGH THE MAIL, AND YOUR TOTAL BAIL AMOUNT WILL BE DUE. A $35.00 administrative fee will be added to every case making payments.  If you wish to pay your bail in full within six (6) weeks of your plea, you will not be charged the $35.00 administrative fee.  Please check the appropriate box on the plea form as to how you plan to pay: with $50.00 monthly payments or within six (6) weeks. Upon receipt of your completed form and/or your first $50.00 payment or request to pay your bail in one (1) lump sum within six (6) weeks, your plea will be entered and an accounts receivable will be initiated.  Please write your docket number on each payment that you send to the court.  If you move prior to paying your account in full, you will need to provide the court with an updated address. If your citation includes correctable violations, proof of correction also needs to be provided when returning the plea form so that the bail can be reduced

TRAFFIC SCHOOL Installment payments are not authorized for traffic school-you must pay in full. If you are eligible and want to attend traffic school,  return your signed bail notice along with your original bail amount plus the $24.00 state mandated fee by your appearance date. This Court permits attendance only at DMV approved traffic schools. At this time, DMV has not approved any on-line or home-study traffic schools. YOU MAY ACCESS THE CALIFORNIA DMV APPROVED LIST OF TRAFFIC SCHOOL  PROGRAMS AT: www.DMV.ca.gov - select 'site map'. You will not receive any further notice from the court. It is your responsibility to contact the school and register for the program.  Traffic schools are private businesses and charge a fee to participate.  You must complete traffic school and submit the signed original certificate of completion to the court on or before the due date given to you by the court.  No continuances will be granted for completion of traffic school. If your request to traffic school is granted and you decide not to attend traffic school, your automobile insurance may be adversely affected.  If you are granted traffic school and the court does not receive the original signed  traffic school certificate by the due date indicated, it will result in a conviction on your driving record.

TRIAL BY COURT   If you are charged with an infraction violation you may plead not guilty by sending the amount of bail and returning your signed bail notice requesting a court trial and entering a plea of not guilty to the court five (5) days prior to the appearance date.  YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE DATE AND TIME OF YOUR COURT TRIAL BY MAIL.