Rule 2.5 Consolidation; applicable rules

If you get a civil traffic ticket and a criminal charge from the same incident, the court can combine both cases into one. This can happen at any time during the case. Either side can ask for this, or the judge can decide to do it without anyone asking.

When the cases are combined, the trial mostly follows the rules for criminal cases. But there are two big differences for the civil traffic part. First, only the judge decides that part of the case. You do not get a jury for the civil ticket, even if there is one for the criminal charge. Second, the civil part uses an easier standard of proof. Instead of needing proof "beyond a reasonable doubt" like in criminal cases, the civil traffic charge only needs to be proven by a "preponderance of the evidence." This means the judge just needs to believe it's more likely than not that you committed the traffic infraction.