Later this month, the City will begin a new process to address some types of City Code violations that will create a more convenient process for citizens. Known as administrative adjudication, this is a process in which an impartial hearing officer oversees certain violations of municipal ordinance at a hearing at City Hall, rather than going through the DuPage County Court System.
The City will hold Administrative Adjudication Hearings at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, a time chosen outside of typical business and school hours to provide a more convenient time for citizens to attend. The hearings will be in the second floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St.
The types of violations that will be addressed at these hearings include:
- Parking violations (excluding those in the Central Business District, commuter parking lots, daily fee parking areas, and metered parking areas).
- Alcoholic beverage violations
- Animal code violations
- Zoning code violations
- Building and fire code violations
- Stormwater violations
- Business violations
- Health and sanitation concerns
Administrative Adjudication hearings are less formal than proceedings held at the DuPage County Courthouse. Administrative Adjudication hearings do not follow the rigid and complex rules of evidence used in court proceedings but still follow a basic structure to ensure fairness and due process of law. A hearing officer, who is independent and not a City employee, presides over the hearings. The hearing officer is an impartial, licensed attorney, who must meet strict state requirements to serve as a hearing officer.
Not all municipal violations require you to appear at an Administrative Adjudication Hearing. If you receive a ticket/citation/complaint, it will instruct you if it is a “must appear offense.” If you are required to appear, you must attend the specified hearing date on the ticket, citation, or complaint. If it is not an offense that requires you to appear at a hearing, you can choose to either pay the fine specified on the ticket/citation/complaint within 15 days, or you may choose to contest the ticket/citation/complaint by attending a specified Administrative Adjudication Hearing.
Detailed information about Administrative Adjudication Hearings, including what to bring, who should attend, and what happens during a hearing, are outlined on the City’s website.