Court officials have started a campaign to arrest individuals with active warrants as a result of their failure to pay court fines.
Constable Jean Bishop said a Kingman man learned about the renewed enforcement effort the hard way when he was arrested last week after failing to make a payment he'd been promising for weeks. He was brought before a judge and sentenced to 30 days in jail unless he made a payment.
Bishop said the man paid the fine and was released from custody - but with the added burden of additional fees for being arrested.
"We contact defendants by mail and phone and try to work out a payment before appearing at their doorsteps with an arrest warrant in hand," she said.
Bishop did not know how many individuals have outstanding fines owed to the courts but said she and fellow Constable Mike Cobb serve around 20 of these types of warrants each month.
Bishop said some individuals fear being arrested if they attempt to go to court to clear their fines.
"Our goal is to get defendants to pay their fines, and we are flexible in arranging payments," she said.
Posted: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Article comment by:
multiple warrents
I dont think those with previous warrents are going to pay any mind to another added to the list.
Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2012
Article comment by:
Daffy Duck
OK, this is how it works. You get a ticket, you show up in court to pay it, or contest it or go to driving school.......OR be put on a payment plan. Now, it's a reasonable plan, where the monthly payment is not expensive. Then you SIGN the agreement to PAY monthly. When you sign it, then it's a done deal. You agreed to pay. If you don't, then you there are consequences. The excuses some people come up with not to pay are so funny. Joking aside, some people cannot afford to put food on the table. But a flexible plan is workable. Good luck to those who do pay and get their stuff together. Those who don't........good luck also.
@TH Really... You never go over the speed limit? Never drive to close to the person in front of you? Never Lie? [Deleted]. There are so many laws you cant help but break some EVERYDAY! Sheeple, Stupid sheeple. This means you.
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Article comment by:
Bart Simpson
Well, in all fairness, this is true most everywhere. I'm not even sure the word "most" was needed there. If you don't pay court fines you can pretty much expect to be arrested for it.
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Article comment by:
no cryiny in my beer
@J.S. People who were charged with a DUI took the choice of driving while drunk. BREAKING THE LAW. Yes they have a fine and yes they should have to pay it. I will also bet that while they are choosing to feed their families instead of paying said fine they are also enjoying a beer or glass of wine at the least with that meal. Set up a payment plan and give up a non essential until it is paid off. Its not a hard thing to do.
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Article comment by:
Jim L
JS: You can choose your choices (to drink) but you can't choose your consequences (of drinking) Drinking is a personal choice.
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Article comment by:
good riddance
Why is everyone bringing up DUI's? This article didn't mention who they are going after! But I have been told that they are going after everyone who hasn't paid their fines!
Which means all you tweekers who drive with no insurance, who have suspended licenses, thiefs, crackheads, thugs who can't bother to pay their payments on time! But instead just use what money they can get and go blow it on some more pot or crack! Unfortunately some will get out begging their families to bail them out but than when they get out they won't bother to pay their fines or families back!!!!!!!!!!! TWEEKERS NEED TO BE PLACED INTO THAT NEW JAIL SO DO THESE STUPID POTHEADS!!
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Article comment by:
T H
@ sheeple stupid sheeple - you write "We all commit crimes every single day!" That is total baloney. Maybe everyone you know and hang around with commits a crime every day, but most people do not.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
Frank Lee Speaking
@js
"Most dui arrests are victimless."
Until they do it again and kill someone. But please, stand by your down home, hee-haw philosophy regarding a serious problem. A big part of the problem is people who think that way.
@nnp.....
"....this to the local thugs - shove your threats where the sun don't shine."
Once again, it's all about you. I am sure that if the "local thugs" (do you mean here or where you now?, lol) give you thought at all it is more like as the joke of the day. And be sure to let us all know when the lawsuit is filed.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
good riddance
I am glad they are finally going to start making these people pay. I know most of them are the tweekers who won't bother getting a job and think that the world should have to pay for there problems especially when they cant take care of their own kids(look at birdland) and (across the tracks) down near the MCSO the government has to with food stamps and cash assistance I think if they owe a fine they shouldn't be allowed these ammenities!!! There job description is self employed and loving it which means go ahead be a thief or drug dealer or user to get the money!!!!!!!!!!!! Send them all to the new jail where they belong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
Donna Shadow *******************
If people gave up their alcohol & cigarettes their fines would be payed off in no time! that stuff is expensive! I Guess they Would rather get arrested, go to jail & lose their jobs. Why do people complain about things they bring on themselves? And stay off the roads while drunk. My families out there!!!
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
V Stokes
@ js... 2 beers in an hour will not be a BAC even close to the limit for the average 160-170 lb male. A little higher for a female...but still not even close. Even less for higher body weights.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
j s
ok yeah that came out wrong. Most dui arrests are victimless. the dui laws in this state are a little strict and harsh for most cases. can you honestly say that a person goes to a bar has a beer or two in a hour drives home gets pulled over blows a .08 and then basicly loses everything after. this has happened to a few friends of mine and its all been mcso. If the police spent more time crackin down on the meth heads and giving harsher penalties for these crimes but no they can make the money off the dui's. it just seems to me the dui laws are causing more problems and hardship for people during these times than they are helping. the only people its really helping are the politicians that have already robbed this country blind and are the ones driving people to drink. i feel for those people that have been victims of dui accidents or had loved ones that were. if the county city and state want to have such strict laws then maybe they should start offering people better alternatives to getting home otherwise just make bars illegal cuz i'm sorry but if you've ever takin a cab from bj's on a friday at 1:45 in the morning you are looking at a 1 -2 hour wait. yes, say it "why don't you just not go out?" is that really the solution? i mean in an already failling economy lets go and kill another industry. the bar and restraunt industry.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
Cutter (Cutter)
At the risk of playing devil's advocate, "No Name Provided", if you believe that DUI (driving [while] under [the] influence) is not a victimless crime, how do you feel about speeding, driving while distracted or just being a lousy driver? I think the point is that a crime requires a victim. (Prostitution is a crime only where government doesn't profit from it.)
Dui's go free while failure to pay for a victim-less crime fines go straight to jail? Lets not try to lie! We all commit crimes every single day! I lost a job! 2 year suspension of my license! unemployed! live in the boonies! How do I pay these fines that total almost 10,000 dollars? Here's where the [deleted] chime in... "You shouldn't have broken the law". Here's where I say Your idiots for letting government control you sheeple.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
JustAnn Opinion
Sure, I agree, fines need to be paid. Go get 'em.
But, reading this article also made me think about how many times someone goes to court filing a suit against another party - pays the court fees to hear their case - receives a judgment in their favor, and then they are NEVER able to collect from the other party... All the court does is issue the paper order, but no assistance after that. I found it was a waste of my time and money. I'd like to see the courts do more than collect fees from a citizen to hear their case... they should be enforcing those orders as well.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
No name provided
@ j s - Since when is DUI a victimless crime? Hopefully you didn't mean to sound so idiotic. There are many people in this country AND RIGHT HERE IN KINGMAN who are victims of someone's stupid decision to drive under the influence. Some are dead because of it.
Tell me now DUI is a victimless crime. Every person on the road with those driving under the influence are potential victims.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
No way
This is a lie, I had a fine that I paid a week late. Even after I paid it I got a letter saying I had to be in court. This was 2 weeks after I had already paid it. Nobody called at all and this letter came after I paid, I had to take time off work and go to court just for them to find the records of me paying it. Which they did.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
j s
Yep. put all those people with dui's back in jail. its messed up, charge somebody with a victimless crime, give them massive fines, cause the person to lose his or her job and then without a driver's liscense and the bad economy expect them to pay the fines and the high cost of couciling and not to mention the price of the interlock to get your liscense back. Way to go bullies. This town is making me sick. I've lived here 20 years and in the past 2 years i feel the law enforcement have become bullies. People need to pay their fines and its pretty flexible but some people are going to chose to feed their families before they are going to give the greedy state anymore money. Have a heart i hope their is some understanding with our officials otherwise, maybe we should start locking them up for wastful use of money.
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012
Article comment by:
just don't pay with your credit card.....(nnp.....)
unless you want the downtown syndicate to criminally use your card afterwards, using blank card imprinted with your numbers. oh - this to the local thugs - shove your threats where the sun don't shine.
