Follow-Up

When you request a trial the clerk will say "If you don't hear from us in X number of months, call this number." Ignore that. Do you really want to call and say "I have not been convicted yet, could you hurry it up?" Of course not. It's not your job to make sure they do theirs.

If they decide to drop your ticket along with the thousands of others they do every year, they certainly won't tell you. It's just too expensive to mail everybody a letter. So no news is good news.

Don't worry. They have to tell you when and where your trial is. It's called a "Notice of Trial". If by some fluke in the universe, you are convicted without knowing it, they still have to send you another notice in the mail requesting you pay the fine. You can take this payment request and your stamped ticket to the court and have your case reopened on the grounds that you weren't told about your trial.

Be Proactive

With that in mind you can demonstrate that you have been diligently and proactively dealing with your case by doing two things. First, request disclosure. By sending this request as soon as possible, you demonstrate to the court that you were diligent and eager to defend yourself against the charge.

Second, send a letter to the prosecutor indicating you want your trial scheduled as soon as possible. Don't worry. Your trial will not be scheduled any faster. But by sending this letter, you will demonstrate to the court that you did not waive your right to a speedy trial.

These two letters are the most effective way to start winning your case before it gets to trial. These topics are covered in full detail under Step 4.