Justice Court
Justice Court handles traffic tickets in Jackson County that are written by the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation Weighmaster, Jackson County Weighmaster, and some tickets written by police officers for cities within Jackson County. The Justice Court also hears Municipal code violations for the cities of Central Point, Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville and Shady Cove.
You have two main choices on what to do with your ticket. You can plead not guilty and have a trial. You can plead no contest. A no contest is like a guilty plea. With a no contest plea, you can give the judge an explanation of the circumstances, which will be taken into account in determining the amount of the fine. The state Legislature has set a minimum and a maximum fine for each type of violation. The judge cannot reduce the fine below the minimum. The bail amount on the ticket is the "presumptive fine", which is higher than the minimum fine and lower than the maximum fine.
Justice of the Peace Damian IdiartDamian IdiarDamian Idiart was appointed as Justice of the Peace by Governor Kate Brown on December 5, 2020. Judge Idiart became an attorney in 2001, practicing with the Idiart Law Group, handling personal injury matters throughout Oregon, California, Idaho and Utah. Judge Idiart served for more than 15 years as a Pro Tem Judge in the Jackson County Justice Court, Medford Municipal Court and the Ashland Municipal Court, and as an arbitrator for the Jackson County Circuit Court. Judge Idiart graduated with a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, and earned his law degree from the University of Santa Clara School of Law. Judge Idiart and his wife, Sarah, are the proud parents of five children.
