Justice Court
The Town of Chester Justice Court has two Justices, each elected for a four year term. The Justice Court has broad but limited jurisdiction. The Court handles traffic tickets, small claims and civil cases, summary proceedings (landlord/tenant) and criminal cases arising within the Town of Chester.
TOWN JUSTICE
Justice Janet M. Haislip
Town Justice since June 6, 2000.
Court sessions are:
3:00 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of each month for criminal cases.
3:00 p.m. on the 4th Tuesday of each month for all other matters.
Hearings, trials and other litigation are scheduled on additional evenings as are necessary.
Justice Sharon Worthy-Spiegl
Court sessions are:
6:00 p.m. on the 1st Monday of each month for criminal cases.
6:00 p.m. on the 3rd Monday of each month for all other matters.
Hearings, trials and other litigation are scheduled on additional evenings as are necessary.
REQUESTS FOR ADJOURNMENT:
All requests for adjournment must be in writing immediately with a valid reason for the adjournment. Written requests for adjournment must arrive at the court at least 7-days prior to trial. Unless a documented emergency occurs, no adjournments will be considered within 1 week of the trial date.
PROPER ATTIRE IS REQUIRED IN COURT. NO T-SHIRTS, TANK TOPS, SHORTS, OR SIMILAR ATTIRE IS PERMITTED. NO CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE ALLOWED IN COURT.
Procedure for answering a summons: Link
Pay Court Fees Online: Link
PAYMENT OF FINES:
Fines may be paid at the court office from Monday through Thursday during the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. The court accepts exact cash, partial payments, certified checks, money orders, credit cards or debit cards (Mastercard and Visa only). It does not accept personal checks.
You may also pay fines by mail. It is suggested that you send either a certified check or money order. Please do not send cash.
TRAFFIC TICKETS:
When you receive a traffic ticket, you may plead guilty or not guilty by signing the ticket and sending it to the court no later than the appearance date noted on the ticket. All of this information is printed on your ticket. You should review it carefully.
If you plead guilty, the court will notify you, by mail, of the amount of the fine and any mandatory surcharge.
If you plead not guilty, the court will notify you, by mail, of a trial date. You must appear on that date. If you fail to appear, your driver’s license may be suspended.
To ensure proper notification, please advise the court promptly of any change of address.
SMALL CLAIMS:
To file a claim in the small claims part of the court, you must first make sure that the court has jurisdiction over the defendant (the person you are seeking damages from). That person (or corporation) must live or conduct business within the Town of Chester. The claim is limited to $3,000 dollars or less.
A booklet explaining your rights as a small claimant is available at the court office during business hours.
To commence a small claim, you must file a complaint using a specific form. The court has the form that you must use.
You must file the form in person at the court. You may do so between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Please note that the form must be properly completed, signed and acknowledged. It is strongly suggested that you read the booklet in its entirety.
Filing Fees for small claims are:
$10.00 for claims up to $1,000.00
$15.00 for claims over $1,000.00
Court proceedings are open to the public. Should you wish to have a youth group, class or other large group observe, you are asked to contact the court during business hours so that we may accommodate you.