In Arizona there are certain citations that are found by AZ law to be criminal traffic violations this includes such offenses as reckless driving, excessive speed (more than 20 mph above the posted speed limit) and DUI.

The superior court of Maricopa County, Arizona notes that if the offense on your citation/ticket is listed as a criminal violation, you must appear at the Justice Court listed on your ticket at the date and time specified.

The court's website states that when you do appear before the judge, you have three options:

1. Plead guilty. If you choose to plead guilty, you are admitting that you committed the infraction for which you were ticketed.

Possible penalties include:

• Points on your driving record
• A fine
• Suspension or restriction of your driving privileges
• Jail (for some violations)
• Community service
• Court-ordered education classes

Keep in mind the court states that you must be prepared to pay all fines in full on the date of your hearing so you will need to contact the court to find out what the fine amount could be so that you will be able to cover the payment on the court date if necessary.

If you do not pay a fine the day of your hearing, the court will add a $20 time payment fee. Courts accept Visa, MasterCard, checks and cash for payment. If you do not pay your fine in full, you must complete an application for a time payment order and show proof that you can not make payment.

2. Plead not guilty. This means that you are denying you committed the charge(s) against you. The Court will give you a trial or pre-trial date. If you choose this route, you have rights as a defendant. Click here for a list of your rights as criminal traffic defendant.

3. Plead not contest. Under this plea, you are neither admitting nor denying the charges against you and are telling the court that you do not intend to contest the charges. The penalty may be the same as a guilty plea. The judge may consider an explanation before imposing a fine or penalty.

To find out more about what to expect in court, the possible penalties for your specific speeding offense, the probable fine amount, etc contact the court listed on the criminal traffic violation citation. The clerk of the court should be able to provide you with this information.

The AZ Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) can tell you about what points you will receive and what will be placed on your driving Arizona driving record if you are convicted of this traffic ticket.