Court Roles
Role of the Judge
- Take and accept pleas of guilty, nolo contendere (no contest) or not guilty.
- Arraign defendants (a procedure in which the judge identifies the defendant and requests a plea).
- Conduct pre-trial, trial and jury hearings.
- Enter judgments.
- Set the terms and conditions of deferred dispositions, payment of fines and fees, and other sentences.
- Issue arrest warrants for defendants whose cases are filed in municipal court.
Role of the Court Administrator
- Carry out the orders of the judge and the procedures and policies mandated by the state or other authority.
- Prohibited by law to give any legal advice or interpret the law for you, as they are not attorneys
- May not change the court’s orders or make exceptions to the court’s rules for any individual
- Collection of fines and fees and maintaining records.
- Responsible for preparation of processes (citation processing, warrants, judgments, summons, subpoenas, orders, etc).
- Office management.
- Financial management, maintaining accounting records and budget preparation.
- Collection of data for timely submission of state reports.
- Coordination of arraignment, pre-trial and trial processes.
Role of the Prosecutor
- To see that justice is served.
- The prosecutor is the attorney for the City and the State.
- The prosecutor is not your attorney; he or she only represents the City and State.
- You have the right not to speak to the prosecutor.
- If you choose to speak to the prosecutor be aware that any statement you make may be used against you should you choose to proceed to trial.
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