In less than a year since traffic court
returned to Village Hall within an administrative adjudication
process, nearly 7,000 cases have been heard and only two
challenged with an appeal to a higher court. Prior to the
implementation of the adjudication program, individuals wishing
to contest an Oak Park parking ticket had to go before a Cook
County Circuit Court judge.
Through the adjudication process,
residents now can present testimony and evidence in Village
Hall, without the inconvenience or expense of having to drive
to the courthouse in Maywood. Cases 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.
Rulings are made by administrative law
judges who have specific credentials spelled out in state law.
They rule strictly on the facts of the case, a likely key
factor in why so few have been appealed to a higher court.
Individuals who have been cited for violations have a very
clear-cut set of appeal guidelines given to them along with the
citation, so there can be no confusion about their rights or
the process.
Plans are in the works to test an online
appeal process through the Village's website, eliminating
the need to even appear in person. If the appeal is denied,
individuals would then be able to pay online.
The Adjudication Program is part of the
Village's long-range strategy to improve regulation and
management of the community's scarce parking supply.
Control over parking services recently was
brought back in house after several years of private
management, and parking enforcement efforts stepped-up with
programs such as immobilizing -- or booting -- the vehicles of
scofflaws who have five or more unpaid judgments. Since the
Village began booting cars in July, 52 boot hearings have been
conducted within the framework of the Adjudication Program. The
Village will soon begin seeking suspension of the
driver's license of individuals who have 10 or more
unpaid judgments.
The Village annually collects about $2
million in parking violation fines and fees, a level that is
expected to climb as the Adjudication Program continues to make
it easier for individuals to seek review of their tickets and
pay any judgments. While the income from parking tickets is an
important source of revenue, parking rules and regulations are
more about public safety and managing a scarce parking supply
than generating revenue.
The Office of Adjudication isn't
just about enforcement, however. Staff recently became involved
in drivers' education classes at Oak Park-River Forest
High School, offering information on how to get a parking
permit, parking rules and regulations, and what to do if
they receive a parking ticket.
For more information on the
Village’s Adjudication Program, call 358.5479 or email adjudication@oak-park.us.
 |
Daily at 6 a.m., 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 6 p.m.,
10 p.m.
• Oak Park
Community Survey
• Historical
Society Cemetery Walk
• Fighting
Influenza
• Connecting
with Your Child
• Public
Safety in Oak Park
• Commitment
to Community
• Oak Park
Today
NASA Programming
Tuesday - Friday 3 - 5 p.m.Ê
Regular Board Meetings
Live at 7:30 p.m. first & third
Mondays, rebroadcast at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and at 11 a.m.
Thursdays & Saturdays.
