Where violations are tracked in eCourtDate

eCourtDate holds violations in two separate places: a reusable list of violation types under **Automations**, and the violations you record on an individual citation. Knowing which page holds which record keeps your agency from hunting for a violation history where none is stored.

### Overview

- **What it does:** The **Violations** page under **Automations** stores violation definitions your agency reuses. The **Violations** card on a citation records the violations charged on that citation, each with its own statute, status, and fine.
- **Why it matters:** The two lists do different jobs. A violation definition carries no client, case, or event, so the record of who violated what lives on the citation.
- **Who uses it:** Staff who can open the **Admin** menu maintain the definition list. Staff who work in **Payments** > **Citations** record violations on citations.
- **Expected outcomes:** A consistent set of violation types, and citations that show each violation, its fine, and a running **Total Fines** figure.

A case record does not hold violations. The case page has no violations card, and there is no violations tab on the **Cases** tab bar. The citation is what ties a violation to a case, through the case number stored on the citation.

### Prerequisites

- An eCourtDate account that can open the **Admin** menu in the top navigation bar, which is where **Automations** and **Settings** live
- Access to **Payments** > **Citations** to record violations on a citation
- At least one status of type violation if you want a **Status** list on citation violations
- The statute references and fine amounts your agency applies

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Open the reusable violation list

1. Click **Admin** in the top navigation bar.
2. Select **Automations**.
3. Click the **Violations** tab.
4. Enter a term in **General Search** in the **Search Violations** card and click **Search** to find a violation type.

#### Step 2: Add the violation statuses your agency uses

1. Click **Admin** in the top navigation bar.
2. Select **Settings**.
3. Click the **Statuses** tab.
4. Enter a **Name** in the **Create Status** card.
5. Select violation as the **Type**.
6. Click **Create**.

#### Step 3: Record a violation on a citation

1. Click **Payments** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Citations** tab.
3. Click the **Edit** button next to the citation you want to work on.
4. Click **Add Violation** in the **Violations** card.
5. Enter a **Description** of what was charged.
6. Enter the **Statute** code.
7. Select a **Status** from your agency's violation statuses.
8. Enter the **Presumptive Fine** your agency applies.
9. Enter the **Adjudicated Fine** once the court sets an amount.
10. Check **Warning Only** for a violation that carries no fine.
11. Enter the **Adjudication** for the outcome.
12. Click **Save** at the top of the citation.

#### Step 4: Remove a violation from a citation

1. Click the trash icon on the violation you want to remove.
2. Confirm the prompt.
3. Click **Save** at the top of the citation.

#### Step 5: Tie the citation to its case

1. Enter the case number in the **Case number** field on the citation.
2. Click **Save**.
3. Review the **Case Details** card, which appears once the number matches a case.
4. Click **View Case** to open the case record.

### What to Expect

Each violation you add to a citation appears as its own block, numbered **Violation 1**, **Violation 2**, and so on. **Total Fines** at the bottom of the **Violations** card adds the **Adjudicated Fine** when one is set, falls back to the **Presumptive Fine**, and skips any violation checked **Warning Only**. Violations are stored with the citation, so nothing you add or remove is saved until you click **Save** on the citation itself. On the **Violations** page under **Automations**, the list shows **Name**, **Severity**, **Category**, **Description**, **Penalties**, **Creator**, **Created**, and **Updated**, and each violation record carries an **Audit Logs** card.

### Best Practices

- Record the charge on the citation, not on the violation definition. Only the citation carries a client and a case number.
- Create your violation statuses before staff start entering citations, so the **Status** dropdown is not empty when they need it.
- Enter the **Presumptive Fine** at issue and add the **Adjudicated Fine** later, so **Total Fines** reflects the court outcome without losing the original amount.
- Check **Warning Only** rather than entering a zero fine, because that is what keeps the violation out of the **Total Fines** figure.
- Keep the **Statute** wording on citations consistent with the **Statute Citation** on your violation types, so the two lists read the same way.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I attach a violation record to a client, a case, or an event?**

A: No. A violation record under **Automations** holds only **Name**, **Severity**, **Category**, **Description**, **Statute Citation**, **Statute URI**, and its penalties. Record a charge against a person on a citation instead.

**Q: Why is the Status dropdown on a citation violation empty?**

A: It lists only statuses of type violation. Create them under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Statuses** by selecting violation as the **Type**.

**Q: Does a penalty on a violation type fill in the fine on a citation?**

A: No. The two are separate. Penalties on a violation type are reference amounts your agency maintains, while the amounts charged are typed into **Presumptive Fine** and **Adjudicated Fine** on the citation.

**Q: How is Total Fines calculated?**

A: It adds the **Adjudicated Fine** for each violation, uses the **Presumptive Fine** where no adjudicated amount is set, and skips violations checked **Warning Only**.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** You cannot find a violations tab or violations card on a case.

**Symptoms:** You opened a case looking for its violation history and found no violations anywhere on the page.

**Solution:** Cases do not store violations. Open the citation instead, review its **Violations** card, and use the **Case number** field to confirm the citation points at the right case.

**Issue:** A violation you added to a citation is gone after you reload the page.

**Symptoms:** The violation block disappears, and **Total Fines** drops back to its earlier figure.

**Solution:** Violations are stored with the citation. Click **Save** at the top of the citation after adding, editing, or removing a violation.

**Issue:** A violation type you created is missing from the **Violations** page.

**Symptoms:** The record does not appear even when you search for its name.

**Solution:** Archived and trashed records are hidden by default. Check **Archived** or **Trashed** in the **Search Violations** card and click **Search**.

> **Important:** If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

### Related Articles

- [How to manage violation types and penalties](/how-to-manage-violations)
- [How to issue and manage citations](/how-to-issue-and-manage-citations)
- [How to define custom statuses](/how-to-define-custom-statuses)
- [How to manage automations](/how-to-manage-automations)
- [How to Manage Cases](/how-to-manage-cases)