Statement of Rights as a Criminal or Traffic Defendant

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These Constitutional Rights are important to you...you are important to us. The Judges and staff of the Parma Municipal Court

You Have A Right:

  1. To know the nature of the charge filed against you.
  2. To know the identity of the person filing that charge.
  3. To have a copy of the charging instrument in your possession.
  4. To talk to an attorney before entering any plea and a continuance to talk to that attorney.
  5. To a trial and, in certain cases, a trial by jury.
  6. To have the public defender represent you, in certain cases, if you cannot afford an attorney.

All of these rights will be more fully explained by the Judge or Magistrate when Court opens.

If you have any questions when your case is called, please let us know. Our desire is to protect your rights.

Your Constitutional Rights as a Defendant:

  1. To plead guilty or not guilty to any violation with which you have been charged.
  2. To enter a plea of no contest and allow the Judge or Magistrate to make a finding of guilty or not guilty from the facts in your case.
  3. To have your own attorney or, in certain cases, the public defender represent you.
  4. To be granted a continuance to allow you to get an attorney and prepare a proper defense.
  5. To demand a jury trial in certain cases by filing a written jury demand, within certain time frames.
  6. To subpoena witnesses to testify for or on your behalf. This subpoena requires them to appear at trial.
  7. To testify or not to testify on your own behalf. You alone make this decision. No one can require you to testify.