Houston's Municipal Courts Department has launched an amnesty program. For the next three weeks, certain delinquent cases will be discounted to help citizens save money while resolving outstanding cases.
“After Hurricane Harvey, we’ve all been through a lot and there are many of us who are still rebuilding our lives. Municipal Courts staff can help you have one less thing to worry about, we are here to ease your burden by helping you to get your delinquent cases resolved,” said Judge Elaine Marshall, director and presiding judge of the Municipal Courts Department. “Hopefully, this Amnesty Program will be the answer for those who haven’t been able to pay their cases before now."
The amnesty period opened Monday morning and ends Friday, March 16.
"Any defendant who voluntarily appears at any Municipal Court location during amnesty will be permitted to resolve all their eligible delinquent cases, including failure to appear (FTA) cases, and will not be subject to arrest," Marshall said.
Cases eligible for amnesty include all delinquent cases issued prior to Jan. 1, 2018.
Here are the parameters:
--Only the defendant named in the citation or their attorney can participate in the amnesty program.
--Bonding companies, friends, relatives, and spouses cannot make the amnesty request on behalf of someone else.
--The Amnesty Program does not apply to a defendant that is in custody, previously adjudicated cases, parking citations, administrative violations, bond forfeitures, or civil cases.
People can call the Houston Helpline at 311 or 713-837-0311 for questions about whether their specific case is amnesty eligible.
Defendants may take advantage of the amnesty by phone, U.S. mail or in person at any municipal court.
For additional information about Municipal Courts or court cases, visit www.houstontx.gov/courts or call the numbers above.