Handle minor violations outside of courts

ilbegone · #1 10-29-2009, 07:40 AM

San Bernardino County to handle minor violations outside of courts

Quote:

October 27, 2009

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino County will no longer be taking suspected code violators to court.

The Board of Supervisors approved a policy change Tuesday that allows it to handle the collection of fines for minor violations through an in-house administrative process instead of through the criminal and civil court process.

The policy applies to citations issued by the county's code enforcement, building and safety, animal care and control and environmental health services departments.

Under the current process, citations are considered misdemeanors and must be heard in criminal court. Those found guilty can be punished by a fine or imprisonment or both.

The county plans to use a debt collection company to collect fines under the new system.

Dena Smith, director of the county's land use services department, said the change will save time and result in an increase in fees collected. Other government agencies have made a similar change and seen those benefits, she said.

The court process takes about four months to schedule an arraignment or set a trial for a typical case. Enforcement staff spend 1.5 hours per citation in court, she said.

The change frees up time for the enforcement staff and ensures that the fines go directly to the county, Smith said.

The process still will allow for appeal hearings that will be handled by an outside third-party contractor. Decisions can be appealed to the courts.