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HomeMy Public PortalAboutOrdinance #199TOWN OF FRASER ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE DECRIMINALIZING TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS; DELETING THE AVAILABILITY OF JURY TRIALS AND JAIL SENTENCES FOR SUCH VIOLATIONS; AND MAKING CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF ins TOWN OF FRASER. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF FRASER, COLORADO, THAT: PART 1: AMENDMENT OF TOWN CODE. Chapter 9, Article 9-1 of the Code of the Town of Fraser, Colorado is hereby amended as follows: (A) The following Sections of the Code are renumbered as indicated: (1) Section 9-1-6 is renumbered as Section 9-1-7; (2) Section 9-1-5 is renumbered as Section 9-1-6; and (3) Section 9-1-4 is renumbered as Section 9-1-5; (B) Section 9-1-3 of the Code is renumbered as Section 9-1-4 and is amended to read as follows: Section 9-1-4. Penalties. (1) The following penalties shall apply to traffic offenses and infractions under this Article: (a) Any person convicted of a criminal traffic offense, as defined in Section 9-1-3(1), shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00), or by imprisonment for not exceeding ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment; (b) Any person admitting liability for, found to be guilty of, or against whom a default judgement has been entered for any noncriminal traffic infraction, as defined in Section 9-1-3(2), shall be fined in an amount not exceeding Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00). No defendant found to be guilty of any noncriminal traffic infraction shall be punished by imprisonment for such infraction. (C) A new Section 9-1-3 is added to the Code, which shall read as follows: Section 9-1-3. Civil and Criminal Violations: Riaht to Jury Trial. (1) It is a criminal traffic offense for any person to violate any of the following provisions of the "Model Traffic Code for Colorado Municipalities" as adopted by the Town of Fraser: (a) Section 3-6(a), Stopping for school buses; (b) Section 4-1(a), Basic (speed) rule, only where the speed alleged is greater than 20 miles per hour over the lawful speed limit; (c) Section 4-6, Speed contest; (d) Section 5-1, Reckless driving; ýÿ (e) Section 5-2, Careless driving; (f) Section 21-13, Eluding or attempting to elude a police officer. (2) Except for those violations classified as criminal offenses pursuant to subsection (1), all violations of this Article or of the "Model Traffic Code for Colorado Municipalities" as adopted by the Town of Fraser are hereby classified as noncriminal traffic infractions which shall be deemed to be civil matters. The Colorado Municipal Court Rules of Procedure shall apply to proceedings in which the defendant is charged with such a noncriminal traffic infraction, except that no warrant for arrest shall be issued for the defendant's failure to appear when the only violation charged would constitute a noncriminal traffic infraction. Instead, the Court may enter a judgement of liability by default against the defendant for any such failure to appear; assess any penalty and costs established by law; and report the judgement to the State Motor Vehicle Division which may assess points against the defendant's driving privileges and may deny an application for or renewal of the defendant's driver's license until the judgement and all other lawful costs are satisfied. Further, no writ of mittimus shall issue where the only basis for the fine and costs imposed was the finding of guilty or liability for a noncriminal traffic infraction. (3) Any defendant charged with a criminal traffic offense, as defined in subsection (1), shall have the right to demand a trial by jury upon compliance with the provisions of State law and the Colorado Municipal Court Rules of Procedure. ATo defendant shall have a right to a trial by jury for any noncriminal traffic infraction, as defined in subsection (2). In the event that a defendant is charged with more than one traffic violation arising out of the same incident and at least one of the charged violations is listed in subsection (1) above, the defendant shall have the right to demand a trial by jury as to all such offenses, which shall be consolidated for purposes of trial. PART 2: REPEAL. Any and all existing ordinances or parts of ordinances of the Town of Fraser covering the same matters as embraced in this Ordinance are hereby repealed and all ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed; provided, however, that such repeal shall not affect or prevent the prosecution or punishment of any person for any act done or committed in violation of any ordinance hereby repealed prior to the taking effect of this Ordinance. PART 3: SEVERABILITY. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance or is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The Town of Fraser hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance, and each section, subsection, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses and phrases thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional. PART 4: EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after passage, adoption and publication of thereof as provided by law. - 2 - READ, PASSED, ADOPTED AND ORDERED PUBLISHED BY •rn~; BOARD OF TRUSTEES _, AN~ SIGNED THIS ,°7 day of ~~~ ~/ , 1993. ' BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF •rn~ TOWN OF FRASER, COLORADO BY: ~~ ~ • Jensen, Mayor ATTE T: ( S E A L ) a/~ ~ Via Winter, Town clerk Published in the Winter Park Manifest on , 1993. - 3 -