Challenging a ticket about to become even
more convenient
Plans to add evening hours and expand the
Village’s administrative hearings program to violations
beyond just parking should make it even more convenient for
residents to challenge or pay a ticket.
Through the current adjudication program,
residents can present testimony and evidence related to parking
tickets at administrative hearings held at Village Hall,
avoiding the inconvenience and expense of traveling to the
county court in Maywood as was necessary in the past.
Plans to expand the adjudication program
will offer the same convenience to individuals who wish to
challenge citations related to health, building and animal
control violations. Certain citations issued by the Police
Department for local code violations, such as drinking on a
public walkway, curfew violations and graffiti tickets also
eventually will be handled through the adjudication process.
Parking cases currently are heard at 9:30
and 10:30 a.m., and at 1 and 2:30 p.m., every Tuesday in
Village Hall Council Chambers, 123 Madison St. By spring of
this year, the Village hopes to add at least one evening to the
court schedule, a step intended to benefit those individuals
who work during the day but who want to appear in person rather
than contest a citation on line or in writing.
Cases are heard by administrative law
judges who have specific credentials spelled out in state law.
They rule strictly on the facts of the case.
Anyone ticketed for a parking violation
also can file an appeal on line through the Village’s
website, www.oak-park.us, eliminating the need to even appear in person.
Individuals can pay parking tickets on line as well. The
on-line payment feature eventually will be available for other
violations as the adjudication process expands later this year.
While a trip to circuit court for a
parking ticket — and soon, other citations — is no
longer necessary, it remains an option to anyone not satisfied
with the adjudication process. Since parking adjudication came
to Village Hall in January 2004 more than 18,000 cases have
been heard, including in-person, through the Village website
and through the mail. Only 13 have been appealed to the circuit
court, and only one adjudication ruling has been overturned.
Over the past year collections of parking
fines have increased even though the number of parking tickets issued
has not. Officials say the increase in payments of parking
fines is most likely because of the very clear-cut set of
appeal guidelines given with the citation, and the ease of
appeal and payment, which have virtually eliminated confusion
about rights or the process. Bringing the same level of
clarity and simplicity to the citations to be adjudicated at
Village Hall through the expanded adjudication process is a key
goal of the program in the year ahead.
For more information on the
Village’s adjudication program, call 358.5479 or email adjudication@oak-park.us.
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Holiday tree collections scheduled
Holiday trees will be picked up for
recycling on regular collection days from January 9 through
January 20. Please follow these instructions:
•
Place tree in regular collection area next to refuse cart
— only residents with no alley should put trees at the
curb
•
Remove all tinsel, decorations and stands
• Do
not put tree in plastic disposal bag
• Place
wreaths and garlands in the refuse cart. They are held together
by wire, which makes them not recyclable
A resident challenges a parking ticket
through the adjudication process. Seated are (from left)
Bailiff Ed Polfus and Office of Adjudication Administrative
Secretary Lina Corapi. Audio and video recordings are made of
all hearings.