Amy RentzCourt Clerk
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Office Hours
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(716) 876-5536
(716) 876-0324
There will be NO COURT on the following dates:
Tuesday, August 8th
Thursday, August 10th
Monday, August 14th
Tuesday, August 15th
Wednesday, August 16th
Thursday, August 17th
Monday, August 21st
Wednesday, August 23rd
Monday, September 4th (Labor Day)
During these NO COURT dates, the court window will be open Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am - 4:30 pm, Tuesday 12pm -4:30pm, and Wednesdays 12pm – 4:30pm so that you may ask questions, pay fines or conduct other business that does not require appearance in court.
Judge Gruber’s traffic court is scheduled for Tuesdays at 5:30 pm and Judge Cavarello’s traffic court is scheduled for Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. To appear before either judge you must submit a plea of not guilty to the court office and await a date for your appearance in court to be scheduled. Seating capacity is limited by the NYS Court System therefore specific times are assigned for appearances in court.
If you have received a notice by mail, please follow the instructions on the letter.
Due to reduced capacity allowed in the courtroom, please limit those appearing with you to only a parent/guardian if you are a minor, someone to assist you if needed, or your attorney.
Additionally, when appearing for your court date, you must dress appropriately -
NO shorts or tank tops will be allowed in the courtroom.
The court window is open Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am - 4:30 pm, Tuesday 12pm -7pm, and Wednesdays 12pm - 7:00pm so that you may ask questions, pay fines or conduct other business that does not require appearance in court.
Small Claims may only be filed on Tuesdays between 2:00pm-4:00pm or Fridays between 10:00am - 12:00pm – person(s) that you are filing against must have a Town of Tonawanda address. See form below for additional information.
The court fax number is (716) 876-0324.
If you have any questions, please contact the court during regular business hours.
Applications for small claims and civil matters are accepted by appointment only. Please call (716) 879-3524 to schedule an appointment.
Court
Judge Gruber holds criminal court on Thursday afternoons at 2:00 pm and vehicle and traffic court on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm.
Judge Cavarello holds criminal court on Mondays at 9:00 am and vehicle and traffic court on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm.
Small claims and civil cases are scheduled on a monthly basis. To verify a specific date, contact the court clerk at (716) 876-5536.
Important Phone Numbers
- Court administrator: (716) 876-5536 ext. 3525
- Parking tags and bail: (716) 876-5536 ext. 3528
- Judge Cavarello's clerk: (716) 876-5536 ext. 3521
- Judge Gruber's clerk: (716) 876-5536 ext. 3523
- Small claims and civil matters: (716) 876-5536 ext. 3524
- Certificate of disposition, trials and marriages: (716) 876-5536 ext. 3524
Court Forms
pdf
Procedures for Small Claims
pdf
Application for Small Claims
pdf
Credit Card by Mail Form
pdf
Certificate of Disposition Request Form
pdf
Plea Form - Guilty
pdf
Plea Form - Not Guilty
pdf
Vehicle & Traffic Financial Disclosure Report for Payment Plans
pdf
Justice Court Resources
If you need to change a court date scheduled for a Monday or Wednesday evening, you may call Judge Cavarello's clerk at (716) 876-5536 ext. 521. Judge Cavarello's clerk is available Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. No adjournments are given while court is in session.
If you need to change a court date scheduled for a Tuesday or Thursday, you may call Judge Gruber's clerk at (716) 876-5536 ext. 523. Judge Gruber's clerk is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. No adjournments are given while court is in session.
Please note that the court clerk can not transfer cases from one judge to another.
Bail is posted to assure the appearance of a defendant on each and every court date until the case is closed. The bail posted will not be refunded until that time. If the defendant is convicted, bail poundage of 3% may be deducted from the bail amount.
To make arrangements for a bail refund, you may call the court at (716) 876-5536 ext. 528, Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
If you wish to protest a parking tag fine, you must take your parking tag to the Town of Tonawanda Police Department and request an appearance ticket. The appearance ticket will provide you with a court date at which time you will appear and be given an opportunity to speak with the town prosecutor and judge.
Parking Tag fines can be paid online at www.paycourtonline.com or by phone at 1-888-912-1541.
1. No weapons of any kind are allowed in the courtroom
Small claims applications and information booklets can be picked up at the Town Court records office Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Claims can be filed by mail, or in person on Wednesday or Friday from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.
Adjournments generally are not given for small claims cases. If you have an unusual circumstance, you may contact the small claims clerk at (716) 876-5536 ext. 3522 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
If your license is suspended due to open cases in the Town of Tonawanda, you should contact the judge's clerk for the procedure necessary to clear up the suspension.
Judge Cavarello's clerk can be reached at (716) 876-5536 ext. 3521 and is available Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Judge Gruber's clerk can be reached at (716) 876-5536 ext. 3523 and is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
There are several options that may be appropriate for any given case. In order to discuss any plea negotiation, the defendant must appear on their court date and speak to the town prosecutor or district attorney and the judge.
Appear on the court date given on your summons and read the posted lists in the hallway. The list will direct you to the appropriate office. Traffic school may or may not be one of the available options.
For more information, contact the clerk of the court at (716) 876-5536.
If you wish to plead guilty to a traffic violation by mail, date and sign Part A of your summons and remit it to the court before the court date, which is printed on the front of your summons. Upon receipt, the court will notify you in writing of the fine due.