Burbank to Begin Holding Night Court Sessions : Pilot program: Traffic cases will be handled between 4:30 and about 8 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of August, September and October.

Night court is coming soon to Burbank, giving citizens the chance to fight a traffic ticket without giving up a day’s pay.

Court hearings for infractions such as speeding, failing to stop at a signal and making an illegal left turn are now heard weekdays in Burbank Municipal Court from 2:30 to about 5 p.m.

But under a 90-day pilot program, traffic cases involving infractions and some misdemeanors will also be handled from 4:30 to 7:30 or 8 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of August, September and October, court officials said.

Already used in cities such as Los Angeles, Glendale and Pasadena, the concept of a nighttime courtroom in Burbank was spearheaded by the court’s newest judge, Rand S. Rubin, who successfully campaigned on the issue before joining the bench last year.

“One of the things everyone seemed to want is the ability to come in and handle these matters in the evening--the working people who just can’t get off during the day to settle a dispute or fight a ticket,” Rubin said. He gathered those opinions while knocking on about 12,500 doors during his campaign, he said.

“I actually wanted it to start later,” he added, “more like 5:30 or 6 until 9:30 or 10 at night. But I’m real pleased all are willing to give it a try.”

Supporters of the idea include the court’s administrator, Evelyn Glenn; Burbank Police Chief Dave Newsham; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is responsible for providing security; and the court’s other bench officers, Judge Alan S. Kalkin and Commissioner Dennis L. Shanklin.

All who sign up for night court are expected to appear at 4:30 p.m., when the list of traffic cases will be read, court officials say. But some flexibility will be given to those who notify the court in advance that they will be late.

Of the estimated 30 traffic cases handled every week in Burbank Municipal Court, about half could be accommodated during the evening, Glenn said.

She said it is not yet clear how much it will cost to staff the nighttime operation, which will require three sheriff’s deputies, one clerk, a staff supervisor and a judge or commissioner.

A Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, Capt. Judith Lewis, said her agency may be able to save money by simply scheduling deputies to work later in the day.

For police officers who must appear in court as witnesses in disputes over traffic tickets, there will probably be little effect, Newsham said.

“We’re paying overtime anyway,” he said. “For traffic cases, we’ll continue to pay overtime, but I don’t think these new court hours will cause us to incur additional expenses.

“We’re willing to support the court’s effort to accommodate the citizens.”