COMMUNITY SAFETY UNIT INFORMATION

 

​The Community Safety Unit is responsible for prosecuting cases related to the safety of the community, such as driving while intoxicated and other traffic offenses, property offenses, and low-level assaults. The Community Safety Unit works with Springfield Police Department Police Area Representatives to help solve long-term neighborhood problems, the Missouri Department of Revenue on bad checks, delinquent taxes, and driver license issues, and area school districts on truancy issues. The Community Safety Unit works closely with the Community Alternative Sentencing Program, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the Youth Alcohol and Cannabis Prevention Coalition.

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The Community Safety Unit is also responsible for prosecuting felony narcotics cases. We are tasked with the management of offenders placed in Adult Treatment Court, Veterans Court and DWI Court. We are also responsible for holding accountable those offenders given the opportunity of felony probation by the Courts. 

 

In addition, the Community Safety Unit provides logistics and operations support to the one hundred employees of the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to meet their technology and workflow needs in their efforts to seek and serve justice for the citizens of Greene County in the most efficient and effective way possible.

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TRAFFIC OFFENSES

Instructions for Attorneys Only

 

If you wish to handle your client’s traffic offense without appearing in Court, please see the instructions below. Please be advised that if you do not resolve the case prior to the Court date listed on the ticket, your client will still have to appear in Court. You (or your client’s) failure to appear for the scheduled Court date may result in a warrant being issued for their arrest.

Note: Not all offenses can be handled without your client’s appearance. It is at the discretion of the assigned prosecutor whether a traffic offense may be handled without a court appearance. An in-court appearance may be required due to the offense(s) charged or if your client lives within a certain distance of Greene County.

 

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Steps to Handle Ticket by Mail

 

 

1. File an entry of appearance. We are unable to communicate with you about the matter absent your entry of appearance.

2. After the entry is filed, email us a written request for a traffic plea recommendation to PATraffic@greenecountymo.gov. The written request must include your client’s case number and name AND an attached copy of your client’s driving record. (Information on how to obtain a driver’s record can be found at: dor.mo.gov

3. ​A Community Safety Unit prosecutor will then review the file and create a recommendation.

4. ​In 1-3 days, you should receive a recommendation from a Community Safety Unit Prosecutor, via email, with a proposed disposition. You will also be connected with the Prosecutor who is assigned to the case. If your client wishes to accept the proposed offer, please let the assigned Prosecutor know your client wishes to accept the offer and would like to resolve the case without a court appearance.

5. ​If the assigned Prosecutor believes that the case may be resolved without an appearance in court, they will provide you with Plea in Absentia paperwork which must be completed and signed by the defendant and the defense attorney. After completing and signing, the documents must be efiled by defense counsel.

6. ​Mail the payment of the fine AND court costs in the form of a money order, cashier’s check, or attorney trust account check to Circuit clerk’s office (note: All checks must be payable to the Circuit Clerk).

7. ​If you do not resolve your client’s case before the Court date on the ticket or summons, or if your client does not wish to accept the recommendation, you (or your client) must appear in Court or a warrant may be issued for your client’s arrest. If you are unable to appear in Court, please contact the division court clerk for a different appearance date.

8. ​Verify that your client’s payment has been received and your case has been resolved online at courts.mo.gov

Your recommendation will include fines and costs. For current costs, please contact the Circuit Clerk’s Office.

 

 

Where to Mail Your Payment

 

The Circuit Clerk only accepts cashier’s checks, money orders and attorney trust fund checks. However, if you choose to pay via phone, credit/debit cards can be accepted so long as the cardholder is the name of the defendant. Please be advised that there may be an administrative fee for using credit/debit card. Please send payments to:

ATTN: Finance Department
Greene County Circuit Clerk’s Office
1010 N Boonville Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65802
(417) 868-4074

 

 

Questions

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If you have traffic questions, please contact the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office at (417) 868-4061 or the Circuit Clerk’s Office at (417) 868-4074 ext:2206. Please be advised that the Prosecutor’s Office cannot give legal advice.

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