A six-month "50 percent off" amnesty program allowing drivers in Butte County with outstanding traffic tickets or non-vehicle code violations to pay off certain infraction violations at a discount is due to end June 30.
The program, which began Jan. 1, targets drivers with outstanding traffic tickets or non-vehicle code infraction violations that were due to be paid before Jan.1, 2009. To qualify for the program all of the following must apply:
• You either failed to appear in court or failed to pay in full.
• The last date you made a payment was on or before Jan. 1, 2009.
• You don't owe restitution to a victim on any case in the county where the traffic case or non-vehicle code infraction was filed.
• You have no outstanding misdemeanor or felony warrants in the county where the traffic case or non-vehicle code infraction was filed.
Parking tickets, driving under the influence and reckless driving cases are not eligible.
The California Legislature required that all 58 counties implement a one-time amnesty period that allows a lump sum payment of 50 percent of the outstanding balance on certain violations to fully satisfy the court-ordered obligation, according to a Butte County Superior Court news release.
The program is intended to provide relief to individuals who have found themselves in violation of a court-ordered obligation because they are financially unable to pay the full amount. It also can provide the county with much needed revenue by encouraging payment of old fines that have remained unpaid.
Courts and counties seek to resolve older delinquent cases and focus limited resources on collecting on more recent cases, according to the news release. Through May 2012, Butte County has collected $74,841 in payments on 140 cases, officials said.
For more information, see the Butte County Superior Court website at www.buttecourt.ca.gov, or the Butte CountyCentral Collections website, www.buttecounty.net, and go to the Treasurer and Tax Collector home page.
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