November marks the first month Administrative Hearings will be a part of the Village of Northbrook. Following suit with many other Illinois villages and towns, the administrative process aims to reduce costs and expedite timelines for enforcement.
Residents will begin receiving notices to show up at the Village Hall one day a month instead of the Circuit Court in Skokie. The Administrative Court will handle civil fines and will not hear cases that could result in conviction or jail time. The list of offenses includes non-moving traffic violations (parking tickets); local ordinance violations (shoplifting or cannabis cases); nuisance and code enforcement; fire, building, and health code violations; unlicensed businesses; water, sewer, and stormwater issues; and underage curfew, tobacco, and alcohol violations.
The citation received will tell the offender if they are required to attend the hearing or can simply send in payment. If you wish to contest the citation, you must appear at the time and date listed and request a hearing to present your evidence. It’s important to note that Village’s burden of proof is a “preponderance of the evidence” and the Hearing Officer needs only be convinced it’s more probable than not the offender committed the offense.
If you receive a citation or default judgment for failure to appear, please contact Floss Law at 224-326-2903 or bob@flosslaw.com. We are experienced handling administrative hearings and can quickly navigate the process and be your advocate at the hearing.