A citizen complaint is a citizen initiated municipal ticket. A citizen complaint is filed by the complaining witness (you) against the defendant. If, after filing the complaint, you decide to dismiss it, you will be required to pay a dismissal fee of $35.00. Some complaints may only be dismissed by the Judge.

You are required to be present in court on the day your complaint is set and any additional dates set by the court.

A citizen complaint is a criminal case, and as such, restitution is not available. A citizen complaint is a violation of municipal law in much the same way as a speeding ticket is a violation of municipal law, and similarly, any fines or costs paid by the defendant on the complaint are paid to the City of Bethany. The City of Bethany is not the proper court for seeking restitution or reimbursement for any monetary losses sustained by a citizen complainant.

If you want to recover money or restitution from the defendant, you will need to file a civil lawsuit with the Oklahoma County Court Clerk, 320 Robert S. Kerr #409, Oklahoma City. OK 73102, (405) 713-1724. You may also want to consult an attorney regarding a civil lawsuit.

The City of Bethany cannot make the defendant pay you money.

Any fines the defendant pays on the complaint will be kept by the City of Bethany.

Steps to complete the complaint:

  1. You will need to fill out the citizen complaint form legibly and
  2. Write the defendant's name and address at the top of the form above the word "Defendant" and write your name on the first blank right before "of lawful age".
  3. Be sure to write down the date and time that the incident
  4. Follow the instructions on the form, your allegations must fit in the space provided on the complaint
  5. Be sure to include enough information for the City Prosecutor to review the case and be able to prosecute (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, & WHEN).
  6. Bring your completed complaint and your $30.00 appearance bond to the Bethany Municipal Court within 5 days. Failure to file your complaint on time may result in your case not being accepted by the City of Bethany.
  7. You must appear in court, on time, on the assigned court While you are not required to have an attorney, you may bring an attorney with you on that court date as long as that attorney has filed an entry of appearance on your case.

In order to file a citizen complaint, the complaint form must be filled out and filed at the Bethany Municipal Court within FIVE (5) days.

There is a $30.00 appearance bond due at the time of filing the complaint.