Court offers amnesty on fines

Thousands of Snohomish County residents who have outstanding court fines could get out from under the thumb of government much cheaper if they pay up this month.

What’s more, many of those people will avoid the risk of having their driver’s licenses suspended later this year.

The deal includes about 67,000 cases involving 30,000 people whose names have been sent to a collection agency by Snohomish County District Court. Four county municipal courts also will participate in the program.

Those who respond will have a one-time opportunity to avoid collection agency fees and interest if they pay up before March 31, District Court administrator Bill Fosbre said.

Collection fees alone can add up to 50 percent of a fine, he said.

The court is calling it a collection amnesty program, one that could benefit people who are behind or have stopped their payments. It also will help the courts.

Fosbre hopes to close out hundreds of cases, increasing efficiency in court operations.

Then there’s the possibility of garnering a lot of extra cash for the courts, county, state and cities, all of which are owed money.

In the last 10 years, people who have not paid fines have racked up a $25.5 million bill in the county’s four District Court divisions alone. Collecting just 1 percent of that amount would increase income by $250,000, Fosbre said.

Also, those who pay fines stand the chance of getting out from under the yoke of the Department of Licensing. Suspending licenses of people who didn’t pay court fines was routine until last year, when the state Supreme Court struck down the practice because defendants weren’t afforded a hearing. Fosbre expects the Legislature to fix that this session.

If it does, the courts will notify the Licensing Department about the scofflaws, meaning that those who are out of favor with the courts will again have licenses suspended and may have trouble getting auto insurance.

“We want those people licensed, and the only way they can be licensed is to come in and pay off their ticket,” Fosbre said.

It’s a one-time shot, he said.

“We don’t want people to get in a habit that next year we’re going to do it again,” Fosbre said. “We’ve never done it before.”

Those 30,000 people include anyone who has gone at least 30 days without making a full payment. The courts usually set up a payment plan for infractions and fines.

That number also includes people from all 50 states and most Canadian provinces. About 24,000 postcards about the amnesty program will be sent this week, mainly to local residents, Fosbre said.

About 23,000 individuals owe a base fine of $300 or less for traffic and parking tickets, or misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor criminal offenses, Fosbre said.

Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.