9E. Reopening Traffic Cases

In municipal court, the defendant can ask the court to reopen a case within 6 months of the judgment based upon mistake and other statutory reasons. The court may give relief from a judgment for several reasons, but only if the motion is made within a reasonable time. In circuit court, the statute requires notice, filing a motion within six months of the judgment, and showing good cause to reopen a default judgment.

Reopening a traffic case may be something that you discuss with clients if it seems feasible––doing so may require a hearing. If it has been more than six months since the judgment, reopening a case is more difficult. Reopening a case would likely be a scenario where the client would need a lawyer’s help, but you can find the form for a motion to reopen a case here