Court Appearances

Court is held at 234 SW Kendall Ct, which is located inside the Troutdale Community Police Center.

Traffic arraignments begin at 9am. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes prior so that you can get checked in with the Court Clerk. The Judge will ask you to enter a plea. You may plead no contest, guilty or not guilty.

Court Room Rules

• No Weapons
• No Hats or Caps
• No Food (Drinks in enclosed containers are ok)
• Appropriate Attire
• No Bare Feet
• Cell Phones must be silenced

Going to Court on a Traffic Ticket

The purpose of the first court appearance is to tell the Court how you wish to proceed with your case. You have three options:

• GUILTY Plea. If you choose this option, you can offer an explanation of the circumstances to the Judge. Your fine or other penalty, assesed by the Judge, will depend on your explanation, your driving record and the seriousness of the offense. A plea of guilty will result in a conviction being entered on your driving record.
• NO CONTEST Plea. The plea of no contest under Oregon Law results is a guilty finding by the Court and will result in a conviction on your driving record. The benefit of a no contest plea is that you do not have to admit guilt in open court. The fine or other penalty, assessed by the Judge, will depend on your explanation, your driving record and the seriousness of the offense.
• NOT GUILTY Plea. You wish to contest the offense charged against you and go to trial. The trial date is usually set within 4-8 weeks and you will receive a written notice in roughly two weeks in advance, or at the time of your arraignment.

If you wish to plead NOT GUILTY, you may inform the court clerk prior to your court date or you may enter a plea of not guilty at your scheduled appearance when the Judge calls your case.

Please be aware that if you fail to obey an order of the Court, including an order to pay a fine, your drivers' license will be suspended and you may be subject to further legal action. Your case will also be sent to a collection agency.

Please direct any questions you may have to the Judge. Under Oregon law, court clerks cannot give legal advice.

Court Appointed Attorneys

If you cannot afford an attorney, the Court may provide you with an attorney at little or no cost to you. Court appointed attorneys are only provided in misdemeanor cases. To qualify, you will need to complete a financial statement. Based on the information you provide, the Judge will determine whether to grant your request. Court staff will provide you  with a financial statement when you come to court.

Trials

If you have been charged with a misdemeanor and you plead not guilty, you have the option to request that the Court provide you with a jury trial or a bench trial.

• Jury Trial: A panel of 6 registered voters of the City of Troutdale, selected at random.
• Bench Trial: A trial in front of the Judge with the citing Sheriff's Deputy, but with no jury.

If you have been charged with a traffic violation and you plead not guilty, you will be scheduled for a bench trial on a Wednesday.