What is a citation?

A citation or summons (ticket) is the penalty for the least serious offenses. While most jurisdictions have decriminalized these offenses, in some municipalities a citation could result in a short jail sentence. The normal penalty is a fine, which may range from under twenty dollars to several hundred dollars.

Police typically give citations for such offenses as minor traffic violations (for example, speeding, parking in a no-parking zone, or jaywalking). If the police cite you for such an offense, they will issue a ticket to you. You have the option of not contesting the citation by mailing in the ticket with the specified payment. Or if you feel the police have wrongly given you a ticket, you have the right to contest the citation at a hearing.

Not all traffic violations are citable offenses, however. The most serious traffic violations, such as driving while intoxicated, are criminal offenses. The law classifies them as misdemeanors or felonies.

>>How do civil and criminal law differ?
>>What is a citation?
>>What distinguishes a misdemeanor from a felony?
>>What is the standard of proof in a criminal case?

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