You will attend or contact the court facility on the date / time indicated on your Early Resolution meeting notice
You will meet in person or discuss by phone with the Prosecutor the possibility of a resolution
If a resolution is offered and you accept, you will go into the courtroom or be transferred by telephone and meet with a Justice of the Peace to put the agreed to resolution on the record
If you do not reach a resolution a trial date will be set for you
What if I cannot attend on the scheduled date?
A defendant can postpone an Early Resolution meeting once. You must notify the court office in writing at least two days prior to the date of the original meeting. A rescheduled Early Resolution meeting must take place within 30 days of the originally scheduled meeting date. A new notice will be mailed to you indicating the time / place of the rescheduled Early Resolution meeting
What happens if you do not attend your meeting?
If you do not attend or call in on the indicated date and time of your Early Resolution Meeting you will be ‘deemed not to dispute the charge’ and the prosecutor will ask the Justice of the Peace for a conviction against you.
What happens in the courtroom?
The Justice of the Peace will ask to confirm your name / address
In addition you may also be asked
If you understand that you are pleading guilty to the charge?
If you understand that you will be convicted of the charge?
If you understand that you are giving up your right to a trial?
If you answer ‘yes’ to all of these questions the Justice of the Peace could proceed, register a conviction against you
If you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions, the Justice of the Peace may order that a trial be held. A trial notice will then be mailed to you indicating the date / time / place of the trial
Speaking to penalty:
As a defendant, you have the opportunity to ask the Justice of the Peace to take your financial circumstances or the need for additional time to pay the fine into consideration