Montgomery Co. Holds Traffic Ticket Amnesty Day
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If you owed money in Montgomery County for a traffic ticket and had an arrest warrant the doors have just closed at the circuit clerks office to give you a grace period. Today was the only day Montgomery County was offering its traffic amnesty program. It was a busy day at the clerk’s office — there was even a line out the door early this morning — all for people to get their name cleared from a warrant. For those who’ve received a traffic ticket from an ALEA trooper or from a Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy, then had an arrest warrant for missing court or not paying off their ticket — the “Amnesty Day” sign at the county clerk’s office was a sigh of relief. “Allow people who have outstanding traffic tickets who have pending warrants and have traffic tickets that have been outstanding for more than 90 days give them the opportunity and resolve those tickets in a fair and easy way,” Said Montgomery County Circuit Clerk, Tiffany Robinson. It gives drivers the opportunity to pay at least half of what they owed the courts to cancel their arrest warrant. They also got the chance to make arrangements on paying off the balance. But if they don’t pay it off within six weeks, District Attorney, Daryl Bailey, says there are consequences. “We want to give them this opportunity so that they are not arrested. You know, so they’re not picked up at their job, they’re not picked up at their house, and give them the opportunity to make this right,” Said Bailey. The clerk’s office says people are thankful for the grace period. And for those who missed Amnesty Day, there’s still help available. “At the bottom of every ticket there’s a court date. If you will have trouble paying that ticket and you can’t pay it in full by that court date just come and talk to the judge… and our judges in Montgomery County are fair, they’re balanced and they’re willing to listen if you have a legitimate excuse as to why you can’t pay the ticket,” Said Robinson. These tickets are not city tickets. Robinson says last year, the clerk’s office collected thousands of dollars when they had their amnesty day. They cleared off about 100 people. The clerk’s office has 15,000 to 20,000 tickets come through their office every year. If you have any questions about paying your county tickets, call the clerk’s office at 832-1260.
