Juvenile Traffic Court
A juvenile traffic offense consists of a violation by a child, under the age of 17, of a law or local ordinance governing the operation of a moving motor vehicle upon the streets or highways of this state or upon the waterways within this state; or any other motor vehicle traffic law or local ordinance if a child is taken into custody and detained for its violation or is transferred to Juvenile Court.
However, the following offenses shall be acts of delinquency and shall not be handled as juvenile traffic offenses: aggressive driving, reckless driving, a speeding offense punishable by four or more points, homicide by vehicle, manslaughter resulting from the operation of a vehicle, any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used, racing on highways and streets, using a motor vehicle in fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, fraudulent or fictitious use of a driver's license, hit and run or leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and any offense committed by an unlicensed driver under 16 years of age.
Cherokee County Juvenile Traffic Court is typically held one time per month on Monday afternoons for arraignments. During arraignments, the juvenile can either admit to the offense or deny the offense and ask to have the case set for trial. At the trial, the state must prove the case against the juvenile by presenting witnesses and evidence. The law doesn’t provide jury trials in Juvenile Court, so the final decision is made by the judge. Certain offenses will require the juvenile to participate in the Cherokee County Teen Driving Impact Panel. This program is dedicated to reducing traffic violations and deaths of youth in our community. This is achieved by educating drivers on the consequences of decisions made while behind the wheel of a vehicle. The class is held by Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Cherokee County Juvenile Court. This class is open to all juveniles in Cherokee County (with OR without a traffic violation). If you want to register your child for this class, please contact Tiffney Fraley at [email protected]