Compton : Traffic-Warrant Amnesty

You might call it a half-price sale.

For the next seven weeks, judges in the Compton Judicial District of Los Angeles County Municipal Court are offering to drop arrest warrants against thousands of traffic violators provided they turn themselves in and pay $86--about half the normal fine.

Court Administrator Tim R. Aguilar said the traffic-warrant amnesty period, which expires June 30, is an attempt to slash the county’s 800,000-warrant backlog and avoid having to place violators in already overcrowded jails. The amnesty began on Monday, he said, but response so far has been slow.

About 10% of all county warrants are issued in the Compton district, which includes Carson, Compton, Lynwood and Paramount. About 80% of those involve drivers just passing through, usually on a freeway, Aguilar said.

A warrant is issued whenever someone receives a ticket and fails to pay the fine or answer the charge in court. Violators can be arrested and assessed even more than the standard $171 penalty, and the Department of Motor Vehicles can refuse to renew their driver licenses.

Since 1983, Aguilar said, fees from 56,000 Compton district warrants have been written off because police have been unable to catch up with every violator. So, court officials hope that by reducing the fines, violators will be more likely to surrender and the county will not lose as much revenue. Paying the fine cancels the warrant and clears the violator’s record.