Honorable Roberta Barton, presiding
COURT APPEARANCE
Please consult your Uniform Traffic Ticket or Bond Hearing form for date and time of your trial. Most appearances in court are required in person. Continuances will only be considered by the court on a case by case basis. Please contact the Clerk of Court at 864-638-4341 for any questions. If you are not contesting the charge and wish to pay the bond, you may be able to do so prior to your court appearance by form of cash, money order, or certified check although some charges may require a your court appearance. Failure to pay a traffic ticket may cause your driving privilege to be suspended and/or cause a bench warrant to be issued for you arrest.
Failure to appear in court may result in a trial in absence. Failure to comply with a sentence may also cause a bench warrant for your arrest to be issued.
JURY TRIALS
All citizens are entitled to be tried by a Jury of their peers. Requests should be made in person or in writing prior to the date and time of the scheduled Trial. Once a person has signed up for a Jury Trial, they are not required to attend the original court date set by the officer. Within 4-6 weeks of requesting a Jury Trial, a Pre-Trial conference will be scheduled. If the case cannot be resolved during this conference, you will be assigned the first available date for a Jury Trial. Questions relating to Jury Trails should be directed to the Clerk of Court at (864) 638-4341
DIVERSION PROGRAM ENROLLMENT
ALCOHOL EDUCATION PROGRAM (AEP)
The AEP is restricted to persons arrested between the ages of 17 and 20, who have been charged with alcohol related offense(s), and does not have a significant history or prior delinquency or criminal activity on their record. After completion of the program, the charge is dismissed and the arrest record cleared. A person may only participate in AEP once. Participation in AEP does not prevent a person’s future eligibility to participate in PTI. You must apply for AEP at the Oconee County Solicitor’s Office in Oconee County Courthouse PRIOR to the scheduled court date and time. No applications will be accepted after Court. If the applicant is accepted into the program, the Solicitor’s Office will then schedule enrollment for the applicant.
PRETRIAL INTERVENTION (PTI)
Anyone who has been arrested for the first time for a non-violent offense and has no significant prior arrests can apply for PTI. Applications are accepted PRIOR TO YOUR SCHEDULED COURT DATE at the Solicitor’s Office located in the Oconee County Courthouse. After completion of the program, the charge is dismissed and the arrest record is cleared.
TRAFFIC EDUCATION PROGRAM (TEP)
The TEP was established in South Carolina to educate the driver while providing the opportunity to have eligible tickets dismissed and keep a clean driving record. It is available to anyone that has no significant history of traffic offenses on his or her driving record; AND the ticket must be a 4 point or less violation. Upon successful completion of the program, the court will be notified to dismiss the ticket(s) referred.
**Diversion Programs are administered through the Tenth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Please call (864) 718-1072 for fee and detailed explanation of course requirements.**
The City of Walhalla offers online ticket payment. Click here to pay