It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State of Nebraska to issue citations in lieu of arrest or continued custody to the maximum extent consistent with the effective enforcement of the law and the protection of the public. In furtherance of that policy, except as provided in sections 28-311.11, 42-928, and 42-929, any peace officer shall be authorized to issue a citation in lieu of arrest or continued custody for any offense which is a traffic infraction, any other infraction, or a misdemeanor and for any violation of a city or village ordinance. Such authorization shall be carried out in the manner specified in sections 29-422 to 29-429 and 60-684 to 60-686.

To achieve uniformity, the Supreme Court may prescribe the form of citation. The citation shall include a description of the crime or offense charged, the time and place at which the person cited is to appear, a warning that failure to appear in accordance with the command of the citation is a punishable offense, and such other matter as the court deems appropriate, but shall not include a place for the cited person's social security number. The court may provide that a copy of the citation shall constitute the complaint filed in the trial court.

When a citation is used by a peace officer or when a citation is used by an official or inspector pursuant to section 18-1757, he or she shall enter thereon all required information, including the name and address of the cited person, the offense charged, and the time and place the person cited is to appear in court. Unless the person cited requests an earlier date, the time of appearance shall be at least three days after the issuance of the citation. One copy of the citation shall be delivered to the person cited, and a duplicate thereof shall be signed by such person, giving his or her promise to appear at the time and place stated therein. Such person thereupon shall be released from custody. As soon as practicable, the copy signed by the person cited shall be delivered to the prosecuting attorney.

At least twenty-four hours before the time set for the appearance of the cited person, either the prosecuting attorney or other person authorized by law to issue a complaint for the particular offense shall issue and file a complaint charging such person with an offense or such person shall be released from the obligation to appear as specified. A person cited pursuant to sections 29-422 to 29-429 may waive his or her right to trial. The Supreme Court may prescribe uniform rules for such waivers.

Anyone may use a credit card authorized by the court in which the person is cited as a means of payment of his or her fine and costs.

Cross References

Traffic infraction, citation, see section 60-684.

Annotations

A police chief's failure to forward, in accordance with this section, to the county attorney a citation charging a city employee with a crime in order to prevent the city employee's employment from being terminated was obstructing government operations as set forth in section 28-901(1). The police chief obstructed or impaired a governmental function by failing to forward the citation to the county attorney, as required by this section, because the action of failing to forward the citation impaired the county attorney's performance of its prosecutorial functions. The police chief did not have discretion to remove the citation of the city employee from the packet of citations to be sent to the county attorney such to conclude that he did not breach this section. State v. Wilkinson, 293 Neb. 876, 881 N.W.2d 850 (2016).

(1) In any case in which the prosecuting officer is convinced that a citation would serve all of the purposes of an arrest warrant; and

(2) Whenever any complaint or information is filed in any court in this state charging a felony, misdemeanor, infraction, or violation of a city or village ordinance when the court is convinced that a citation would serve all of the purposes of the arrest warrant procedure.

The citations provided for in this section may be served in the same manner as an arrest warrant, in the same manner as a summons in a civil action, or may be served by certified mail.

Any person failing to appear or otherwise comply with the command of a citation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than three months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Cross References

Traffic infraction, refusal to sign citation, see section 60-684.

Annotations

One-year probation as sentence for violating this section affirmed. State v. Meints, 223 Neb. 199, 388 N.W.2d 813 (1986).

Any peace officer having grounds for making an arrest may take the accused into custody or, already having done so, detain him further when the accused fails to identify himself satisfactorily, or refuses to sign the citation, or when the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that (1) the accused will refuse to respond to the citation, (2) such custody is necessary to protect the accused or others when his continued liberty would constitute a risk of immediate harm, (3) such action is necessary in order to carry out legitimate investigative functions, (4) the accused has no ties to the jurisdiction reasonably sufficient to assure his appearance, or (5) the accused has previously failed to appear in response to a citation.

Annotations

An officer may arrest for an infraction if such action is necessary to carry out a legitimate investigative function. State v. Sassen, 240 Neb. 773, 484 N.W.2d 469 (1992).
Any peace officer having grounds for making an arrest may take the accused into custody or, already having done so, detain him further when the accused fails to identify himself satisfactorily or refuses to sign the citation or when the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that such action is necessary in order to carry out legitimate investigative functions. State v. Petersen, 12 Neb. App. 445, 676 N.W.2d 65 (2004).
Except as provided in this section, for any offense classified as an infraction, a citation shall be issued in lieu of arrest or continued custody. State v. Petersen, 12 Neb. App. 445, 676 N.W.2d 65 (2004).
A trooper who did not have grounds to arrest a suspect could not detain the suspect under this section. State v. Scovill, 9 Neb. App. 118, 608 N.W.2d 623 (2000).

Nothing in sections 29-422 to 29-429 and 60-684 to 60-686 shall be construed to affect the rights, lawful procedures, or responsibilities of law enforcement agencies or peace officers using the citation procedure in lieu of the arrest or warrant procedure.

Notwithstanding that a citation is issued, a peace officer is authorized to take a cited person to an appropriate medical facility if he appears mentally or physically unable to care for himself.

A citation issued by a law enforcement officer shall not contain the cited person's social security number.