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.

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.

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.