New traffic court opens in Kane County
Motorists intending to request supervision or pay fines for traffic tickets might notice a different address at the bottom of their citations.
Monday is opening day for the new Kane County Branch Court at 530 S. Randall Road in St. Charles.
Traffic and misdemeanor cases that were heard in Courtroom 201 at the Judicial Center, 38W777 Route 38, St. Charles will be moved to the new location.
As of last Friday, work on the westward facing entrance was ongoing and brick pavers and landscaping still needed to be installed.
A grand opening ceremony date has not been set.
The new location, which is attached to the Kane County Circuit Clerkâs Office, also will be the site to hear traffic cases for municipalities such as St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Elburn, Hampshire, Campton Hills, Maple Park and Wayne, along with the Kane County Forest Preserve and Illinois State Police Districts 2 and 15.
Officials also say the location might be used as a public meeting room with a seating capacity of 175.
The move hopefully will reduce lines outside the Judicial Center for defendants waiting to go through metal detectors on their way into court, as well as free up parking spaces.
Thursdays and Fridays during winter often resulted in long lines outside the Judicial Center for folks due in court.
Visitors were forced to park along access roads at the Judicial Center instead of actual parking stalls.
One Thursday last November was particularly harsh in terms of lines as officials scheduled three days worth of traffic court on a single day to accommodate Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.
Six years for punching cop: An Aurora man with a long criminal record recently was sentenced to six years in prison for punching an Aurora police officer last fall.Kane County Judge Timothy Sheldon also sentenced Ricky A. Mitchell, Jr., 46, of the 300 block of Rosewood Avenue, to seek alcohol abuse counseling while in prison.Mitchell was convicted in February of aggravated battery of a police officer and resisting arrest.Mitchell was drunk at about 4:30 p.m. Oct. 28 and carrying a bottle of vodka near East Galena Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue when an officer ordered Mitchell to move to the sidewalk, officials said.Mitchell refused, kept running through traffic and eventually punched an officer.After that, he continued to resist police, shouting obscenities and pushing and kicking officers until he was restrained, officials said. Mitchell had previous convictions for a murder and armed robbery, and aggravated battery to a police officer.The case was prosecuted by Assistant State#146;s Attorney Tom St. Jules.hhitzeman@dailyherald.com