Office of the Attorney

The Village Attorney’s primary responsibility is to provide legal advice and related guidance to village officials. The Village Attorney prepares or reviews ordinances and resolutions considered by the president and Board of Trustees of the village as well as all legal documents. The Village Attorney is also responsible for the prosecution and defense of the various court or administrative proceedings to which the village may be a party. See more about the Village Attorney.

Ordinance Violations

If you are charged with an ordinance violation, a police officer or village inspector will issue you a Notice to Appear. This notice will inform you of the charge against you, the amount of the fine, the settlement date (if allowed), and the court date if you choose not to pay the fine prior to the settlement date. If the officer or inspector marks the Notice to Appear as a must-appear, you do not have the option of paying the minimum fine and you must appear in court on the date specified on the Notice to Appear.

Options

Except for those ordinance violations requiring you to appear in court, you have two options:

• You may pay a settlement amount in full, in person at the Rantoul Police Department prior to your court date, and thereby avoid a court appearance. Settlement is not an admission of guilt, but it bars you from challenging or disputing the citation or the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the citation. By making payment, you accept these terms.
• You may appear in court and plead either guilty or not guilty. If you plead not guilty, the matter will be set for trial. If the court finds that the village has not proven the charge, you will be found not guilty and you will not owe anything. If you plead guilty or are found guilty after trial, you will be required to pay a fine plus court costs.