An arraignment is the formal reading of a criminal charging document in the presence of the defendant to inform the defendant of the charges against him or her. In response to the charges, the accused is expected to enter a plea of "not-guilty", a plea of "guilty", or, in some circumstances, the court will accept a plea of "nolo contendre" ("no contest").

If the defendant enters a plea of "not guilty", the judge will assign a new court date for a jury trial or for a non-jury trial. If the maximum fine for the offense does not exceed $500, and if the offense does not carry any possible jail time, the matter will be set for a non-jury trial. If the maximum fine for the offense exceeds $500, and/or the offense carries possible jail lime, the defendant is entitled to a jury trial unless the defendant waives his/her right to a jury trial.

If the defendant enters a plea of "guilty" or a plea of "nolo contendre", one of two things will happen: (1) The defendant will be found guilty and assessed punishment as set forth in the applicable Broken Arrow ordinance, or (2) The defendant may be placed on probation with an opportunity to have the charge amended to a less serious charge or even dismissed. Prior to going before the judge, the city prosecutor will speak with the defendant and let him/her know whether he or she is eligible for probation. If eligible for probation, the defendant has the right to choose whether to accept probation.

If the judge finds a defendant "guilty" of a charge and assesses a fine and court costs, payment is due at that time unless other arrangements are made with the judge.

All individuals must check in with the Court Marshall in the lobby prior to appearing before the judge.

All cases set for Non-Jury trial (a trial in which the judge makes a finding of "not guilty" or "guilty") are heard at this time. Individuals may not be set for Non-Jury trial without first appearing for arraignment before the municipal judge.

Jury dockets are scheduled every four months for a period of one week. All cases set for a trial by jury are held at this time. Individuals may not be set for a Jury trial without first appearing for arraignment and appearing at a Pre-Trial conference.

This docket is for all juveniles cited for misdemeanor offenses and/or traffic violations. All individuals must check in with the Court Marshall in the lobby prior to appearing before the judge. Parents or Legal Guardians are required to appear with their children on this docket. Payment of fines on the day of sentencing is expected unless other arrangements are made with the judge.

This docket serves as a review docket for payment plans or for individuals placed on probation. At the end of probation, the defendant is required to provide proof that all conditions of probation have been met, and is required to pay all fines, court costs, deferral fees, and administrative fees that are due.

For those appearing in Municipal Court, there is a strict dress code established by the judge. Those failing to meet this dress code will not be allowed in court or will be moved to the end of the docket.

• No shorts
• No cut-off jeans or cut-off slacks
• No jeans or pants with obvious tears or holes
• No dirty or muddy clothing
• No torn or raggedy T-shirts
• No thong-type footwear
• No hats
• No shirts or jackets with abusive or objectionable emblems or wording on them
• No facial piercings
• No gum, mints, candy etc. to be consumed while addressing the judge

If you pay your citation on or before the date it is due, the Court Clerks accept cash, credit card, money order, cashier’s check or personal check. The Court Clerk cannot accept personal checks for citations involving probation or on citations that have gone warrant.

Payments May Be Made:

1. In person at The Justice Center, 2304 S. 1st Pl. in Broken Arrow at the Court Clerks window from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, excluding city holidays. You may also use the night drop box located on the front (east) side of the Justice Center. Do not put cash in the night drop box.

2. Through the mail. Payments should be made payable to the City of Broken Arrow and addressed to:

   Broken Arrow Court Clerk
   PO BOX 610
   Broken Arrow, OK 74013

3. Online at BrokenArrowOK.gov and follow the prompts for online payments. Juvenile citations and/or warrants cannot be paid online.

Please keep in mind the Court Clerks are there to help assist with docket management, taking payments, and scheduling conflicts, but the Court Clerks are not legal advisors and cannot give legal advice as to how to handle your pending matters in Broken Arrow Municipal Court.