That allows our customers to easily resolve their traffic citations without the hassle of a trip to the Regional Justice Center. The system has been programmed to integrate a specific matrix of authorized settlement offers from the District Attorney based upon the demerit points for the charged offense and the number of prior moving violations an individual has been cited for in a rolling thirty-six month period.
Defendants now have the ability to enter a plea, upload documentation (i.e. – proof of insurance, registration, license, or traffic school), and make payments through the online platform. Defendants electing to plead not guilty have the option to submit statements and evidence in defense, mitigation, or extenuation through Matterhorn and request the court to render a ruling on the citation based upon those submissions and written submissions of the officer in lieu of a trial or they may request a trial.
Using the web address below, traffic customers can access their traffic citation and create an account with Matterhorn. See https://lvjcpa.clarkcountynv.gov/Anonymous/default.aspx.
Users should select the “Resolve a citation and/or make a payment” button located on the top right of the screen which will direct them to the Matterhorn website for instructions on how to register.
The Las Vegas Justice Court also is planning for the re-opening of our customer service lobby (formerly the traffic lobby shared with Las Vegas Municipal Court) that was closed during the pandemic due to its high volume of foot traffic. The goal is to open simultaneously with standing up a traffic arraignment court that will serve traffic customers unable to utilize the Matterhorn platform. Though the court has had to prioritize use of resources to handle eviction matters, we anticipate beginning to schedule traffic trials in January 2022.
While we understand the frustration that has been caused by the protracted closure of the traffic division, we are certain the new Matterhorn platform will streamline the process for traffic citations and ease the transition into civil infractions established by Assembly Bill 116 in the last legislative session. Additionally, rest assured that no cases were sent to collections and no warrants were issued during the closure. We encourage anyone who has an outstanding traffic citation to access Matterhorn.
For up-to-date Court news, notices, procedural updates, and meeting announcements you can now follow us on Twitter @LVJusticeCt_NV. Stay tuned for further updates as the Las Vegas Justice Court continues to innovate and evolve toward a brighter tomorrow for our community.
About the author
Chief Judge Melissa Saragosa was appointed to Las Vegas Justice Court Department 4 in 2006
About this article: This article was originally published in the “Pro Bono” issue of Communiqué, the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association, (December 2021). See https://clarkcountybar.org/about/member-benefits/communique-2021/communique-december-2021/.
© 2021 Clark County Bar Association (CCBA). All rights reserved. No reproduction of any portion of this issue is allowed without written permission from the publisher. Editorial policy available upon request.