Script for Contacting a Clerk of Court

Use this script to obtain county-specific information from the Clerk of Court’s office about the process for using court form, AOC-CR-415, to request relief from unpaid traffic ticket(s). 

Hello. May I speak to the clerk who handles traffic court?

When the traffic clerk gets on the phone.

Hello. May I ask who I am speaking to?

I am calling to ask about [County Name] County’s process for court form AOC-CR-415, Motion for Relief from Fines, Fees and other monetary obligations. I have a traffic ticket that is unpaid, and I heard that I can use this form to ask the court to eliminate or reduce the money owed on the ticket. I am trying to prevent my driver’s license from being suspended/ I am trying to end my driver’s license suspension.

The clerk may ask you for your name and the case number for the unpaid debt. Make sure you have this information available; you can find it on your driving record or in your court records. The case number’s structure is year, CR/CRS/IF, six-digit number, for example 19IF000123. CR means the case is a criminal district court case, CRS is a criminal superior court case, and IF means it is an infraction. 

What is the process for filing the motion for relief? 

Make sure to get information about the process for filing the motion, serving the district attorney, and getting the motion considered by the judge. If the clerk does not give you all the information you need, ask the following questions:

1. Can I submit the paperwork to the court by mailing it to the clerk’s office? 
   1. If able to file by mail, how many copies of the motion should I mail?
   2. Do I need to include a stamp, self-addressed envelope? If so, how many?
2. Service
   1. The motion requires service on the district attorney, will the clerk of court’s office obtain the signature for the district attorney’s office? Is that my responsibility?
   2. If I need to obtain the signature, should I get it before I turn the motion into the clerk’s office?
3. Hearing
   1. Does the Court require an in-court hearing for this motion?
   2. If a hearing is required, how do I schedule a date for the hearing? 
   3. If a hearing is not required, will the clerk’s office mail the Court’s order to me?

Thank you for your time.