Welcome to Skagit County

June 22th, 2009

District Court and Municipal Courts Offer Debt Reductions for Fines, Fees and Collections offer extended through June 30, 2009

700 cases cleared to date

SKAGIT COUNTY - Skagit County District Court and the Municipal Courts of Mount Vernon, Burlington, Anacortes and Sedro Woolley are offering debt reductions for fines, fees and collections. To date more than 700 cases have been cleared and $100,000 in unpaid fines has been collected.

In an effort to help citizens regain their driving licenses and reduce debt owed to courts and their collection agencies for unpaid fines and fees, the courts are offering a “debt reduction program” now extended through the month of June.

Skagit County District Court Presiding Judge David Svaren declared, “In difficult economic times, government must strive to improve service to its constituents. While this program provides a service to the public in enabling suspended drivers to reclaim their driving privileges, it will also serve to reduce the strain on law enforcement and the courts. This is the sort of win-win scenario Judge Gilbert and I are proud to support.”

Designed to help those with outstanding traffic tickets and fines, Skagit County District and Municipal Courts will be offering reductions for past-due accounts and working with their collection agency to waive interest and a significant portion of collection costs.

Those with outstanding tickets or fines should contact the court directly. Clerks will also be able to provide names of other courts where fines may be outstanding.

One of the main goals of the program is to assist citizens with regaining driver’s licenses after being revoked due to unpaid fines and fees. Once tickets are paid in full and reported to the court, the court will notify the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) to clear the driving record. The driver may be able to obtain a valid driver’s license 48 hours later if no other offense on the driving record prevents it.

More than 100 courts throughout the state are participating in similar Debt Reduction Programs throughout the month of May. For a full listing of courts participating, please visit the Washington Courts website at www.courts.wa.gov.