Superior Court of California
County of Riverside
MEDIA ADVISORY
September 1, 2015
Contact: Marita C. Ford, Public Information Officer
(951) 777-3163
(electronic version available at:
COURT TO OFFER DISCOUNT ON UNPAID TRAFFIC TICKETS
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: The Riverside Superior Court, along with all other trial courts in the State of California, will offer an Amnesty period on unpaid tickets from October 1, 2015 through March 31, 2017. Those who meet certain criteria will be eligible to have their unpaid fines reduced by at least 50% and will also be eligible to have their driver’s licenses restored if they have been suspended. Juvenile traffic cases are also included.
The following criteria must be met in order to qualify for Amnesty:
- The ticket is for an infraction or misdemeanor charge. Certain misdemeanors and all parking tickets are excluded (visit our website at http://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/ for more details).
- The initial due date for appearance or payment of the bail/fine was on or before January 1, 2013.
- No payment has been made on the case since June 24, 2015.
- The person does not owe victim restitution on any case within the county.
- The person does not have any misdemeanor or felony warrants that are outstanding within the county.
Those applying for Amnesty can do so beginning Thursday, October 1, 2015 by submitting an Eligibility Affidavit to the court either in person or by mail. Detailed information and corresponding documents/forms will be posted on the Court’s website in the coming weeks.
Presiding Judge Harold W. Hopp remarked, “this program is intended to help those who have struggled to pay their traffic citations, in particular those in our community facing the most challenging financial circumstances. We encourage everyone who is eligible to participate in the program to do so as soon as possible.”
In addition to this program, the court has taken additional steps to ease the burden on traffic litigants in the past several months. This includes increasing services both in the clerk’s offices and online, as well as implementing a public queuing system in some of the busier courthouses to ease congestion and reduce wait times.
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