All persons accused of violating or failing to comply with any
provisions of this Code or any other ordinances of the Village not
codified, including, but not limited to, ordinances relating to traffic
control, shall be notified of such violation or failure to comply
in one of the following two ways:
(A)
By arrest, or by the issuance of a formal complaint in the Circuit
Court of Cook County or in the Village's Administrative Hearing
System, which complaint shall require the appearance of the defendant
at the Circuit Court or before the Village's Administrative Hearing
Officer upon a noted day. A violation or a failure to comply commenced
in this manner shall not be settled or compromised but shall proceed
to a hearing at which the defendant may plead guilty or not guilty.
An individual receiving a citation may settle or compromise
said citation by the payment of the amount shown on the citation at
the municipal building within the time specified on the citation.
Any such settlement or compromise shall constitute a plea of guilty
to the applicable violation. If such citation is not settled or compromised
within such period, it may be settled or compromised by the payment
of the amount shown on the citation before the final notice date there
indicated. All citations not settled or compromised before the final
notice date shall be referred to the Village's Administrative
Hearing System or the Circuit Court of Cook County for the setting
of a date for a hearing upon the matter. After such a date is established,
the individual charged shall be served a copy of the complaint containing
a notice of the trial date in one of the following ways:
(A)
By leaving a copy thereof with the defendant, personally; or
(B)
By leaving a copy at the defendant's usual place of abode, with
some person of the family (of the age of 10 years or upwards) and
informing that person of the contents thereof; or
(C)
By sending a copy thereof to the defendant at his or her last known
address, by certified mail, return receipt requested.
Payment of a settlement and compromise amount shall be made
to the Village in person, online, or by mail, and a receipt shall
be issued for all money so received.
Members of the Police Department of the Village are hereby authorized
to refrain from initiating a prosecution until the final notice date
has passed.
