You may pay a traffic ticket in person by visiting the following locations:
St. Thomas
Superior Court of the Virgin Islands
Clerk's Office-Traffic Division
Alexander A. Farrelly Justice Center
First Floor, East Wing Rm. 111
5400 Veteran's Drive
St. Thomas, VI
(340) 774-6680
St. Croix
Superior Court of the Virgin Islands
Clerk's Office-Traffic Division
R. H. Amphlett Leader Justice Complex
First Floor, Rm. 101
RR 1 9000
Kingshill, VI
(340) 778-9750
St. John
Office of the Superior Court's Cashier
Department of Motor Vehicles
Cruz Bay, St. John, VI
(340) 714-4920
Yes, traffic tickets can be paid before the court date at the Office of the Cashier located at the Superior Court.
No, by paying a traffic ticket prior to appearing in court, you are admitting that the violation occurred. Therefore, there will no longer be a need for a hearing before a Judge.
You may get the court date information from the face of the ticket or you may contact the Traffic Division at the Superior Court in the judicial district in which the traffic violation occurred.
Yes, you are required to appear on the date indicated on the traffic ticket to answer to violations against you. However, if you do not wish to contest the traffic ticket, you may pay the ticket prior to the hearing date and need not appear in court.
Yes, please contact the Clerk's Office-Traffic Division at the Superior Court the judicial district in which the traffic violation occurred for further details.
Pursuant to Super. Ct. R. 153, the Court may issue a warrant for the arrest of any defendant who has failed to appear or answer a traffic ticket or summons duly served upon him and against who a complaint has been filed. Additionally, the traffic lien imposed pursuant to 20 V.I. Code Ann. § 497 shall be executed.
Yes, a trial date may be postponed for good cause. If you need to have the trial postponed, you must prepare and file a letter stating the reasons for your request. The filing of a request for the postponement of your hearing is not an automatic approval of your request. It is up to the Judge to whom your case has been assigned to determine whether the trial will be postponed.
On the day of trial, an Assistant Attorney General will appear on behalf of the Government of the Virgin Islands. The defendant (the individual who received the ticket) can retain an attorney to represent him or herself in court, but one is not required.
At the trial, the ticket citing the violation will be read to the defendant. The defendant is then given an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty before the Court. If the defendant pleads guilty to the traffic violation, a trial is no longer necessary. The judge will impose a fine and court cost as required by 4 V.I. Code Ann. § 521(a), and the marshal will accompany the defendant to the Cashier';s Office where the fine will be collected.
If the defendant pleads not guilty, the matter will proceed to trial. Please note that pursuant to Super. Ct. R. 154, a Judge may order that two (2) or more complaints be tried together if the offenses arose out of the same facts and circumstances, regardless of the number of defendants.
The Government will present its case first and then the defendant will be given an opportunity to present his or her case. Both parties have the right to ask questions of any witnesses (i.e. police officers) who testified in the matter. Evidence such as documentation, photographs, etc. is permissible.
The Judge may also question witnesses who appear on either party';s behalf. The hearing may take only a few minutes or it may take longer. After listening to the testimony and reviewing the evidence, the judge usually makes a decision that day in Court, or he or she may take more time to consider the case. In any event, you will be notified in writing of the Court';s decision.
If the defendant is found guilty, the Judge will impose a fine and court costs. Payment of all fines and court costs are due on the day of sentencing unless specified by the Judge at the hearing. Each person found delinquent in the payment of a traffic or criminal fine or delinquent in the payment of a traffic lien shall pay a delinquency fee of Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00), pursuant to 4 V.I. Code Ann. § 521(a).
Finally, the Court will forward to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of the state where the defendant received his license to drive, a record of the conviction, so that it would become a part of his driving record.
Yes, witnesses are particularly important in Traffic Court. Most witnesses are willing to come to Court to tell the Judge what happened. Occasionally, a witness will not come voluntarily or cannot get permission to leave work. Please note that if a particular witness is important to your case, you will have to come into the Clerk's Office-Traffic Division and request that a subpoena be issued for that particular individual to ensure their appearance for the court date. A subpoena is a court order, which will compel that witness' appearance in Court. The Court charges Thirty Dollars ($30.00) for the issuance and service of each subpoena.
In order for a subpoena to be issued, you must provide the Court with the witness' full name, physical address and telephone number. The Deputy Marshal will serve the subpoena on the witness. Please note that without the subpoena, the witness has no legal obligation to appear in Court to testify. It is important that you have all witnesses whom you need to testify at the Court and prepared to testify on the day and time of your trial.
Yes, to file an appeal, you must file a Notice to Appeal in the Clerk's Office-Traffic Division within ten (10) days of the date of the entry of the Judgment/Order. Thereafter, the Judge will set an appeal bond. An appeal bond requires that you post money to the court as an interest in furthering your matter to the appellate division. The amount to be posted will be determined by the Judge.
Pursuant to 20 V.I. Code Ann. § 497(h), every traffic ticket issued for improper parking or parking in a handicap space shall constitute a lien on the title of the motor vehicle upon which said traffic ticket was placed. The lien shall remain in existence until the traffic ticket is either paid or discharged according to law.
No motor vehicle shall be registered and licensed, nor shall the Director of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles register a change of ownership until all liens created pursuant to 20 V.I. Code Ann. § 497 have been discharged.
Each person found delinquent in the payment of a traffic and lien shall also pay a delinquency fee of Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00), pursuant to 4 V.I. Code Ann. § 521(a).
No, driving under the influence (DUI) is a criminal offense that is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The fine for illegally parking in a handicapped zoned spot is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).
You may file a suit in the Small Claims Division of the Superior Court if the amount of the damages does not exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).
An appeal is the formal request that a court with appellate jurisdiction reviews the judgment, decision, or order of a lower court and set it aside (reverse it) or modify it. During the appellate process, you are not allowed to present new facts or to retry old facts. Either party in a traffic case has a right to appeal a judge's decision. On appeal you are not allowed to present new facts or to retry old facts.
To file an appeal, you must file a Notice to Appeal in the Clerk's Office-Traffic Division within ten (10) days of the date of the entry of the Judgment/Order. Thereafter, the Judge will set an appeal bond. An appeal bond requires that you post money to the court as an interest in furthering your matter to the appellate division. The amount to be posted will be determined by the Judge.
Click on this link to find a complete list of traffic fines.