Justice Court
Justice Court handles traffic tickets in Jackson County that are written by the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation Weighmaster, Jackson County Weighmaster, and some tickets written by police officers for cities within Jackson County. The Justice Court also hears Municipal code violations for the cities of Central Point, Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville and Shady Cove.
You have two main choices on what to do with your ticket. You can plead not guilty and have a trial. You can plead no contest. A no contest is like a guilty plea. With a no contest plea, you can give the judge an explanation of the circumstances, which will be taken into account in determining the amount of the fine. The state Legislature has set a minimum and a maximum fine for each type of violation. The judge cannot reduce the fine below the minimum. The bail amount on the ticket is the "presumptive fine", which is higher than the minimum fine and lower than the maximum fine.
Justice of the Peace Joe Charter
Judge Joe Charter graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley, law school. He worked briefly in law firms in Melbourne, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, and then for five years on North Slope oil royalty litigation in Anchorage, Alaska.
He practiced law for 30+ years in the Rogue Valley, and worked as a Circuit Court judge, Justice of the Peace, bankruptcy trustee, mediator, and civil litigator. He loves learning, reading, writing, travel, and helping others. He was re-appointed as Justice of the Peace by Governor Tina Kotek effective January 5, 2024.
