Jacksonville helping citizens with court amnesty program

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (WBRC) - For the first time, Jacksonville is offering an amnesty program in the month of May. The program started Monday and if you have outstanding fines or warrants, officials want to help you avoid jail time.

“Let people take care of things without being afraid,” said Public Information Officer Ben Nunnally. “It can be intimidating with something like that hanging over your head.”

Jacksonville’s municipal judge and court clerk realized there were several community members with fines and outstanding warrants, and they wanted to offer some assistance.

“Lower level nonviolent crimes,” says Nunnally, “No felonies, nothing like that. The nature of the system and the way the rules are written can put you in the same type of trouble as something really severe had happened. It occurred to them we can actually give people a way to get themselves square with city and state.”

Officials want citizens to have a way to clean up their records.

“It doesn’t have to be the full amount of your fine if you get in touch and make arrangements. Just as long as we know you’re thinking about it and want to get it taken care of,” Nunnally said. “A blank slate, square one. You’re able to take those warrants and basically get rid of them. The police will know we’re not looking for this person. Say you did get pulled over for speeding. You’re only looking at your speeding ticket.”

You can use the amnesty program in person, by phone, or online. Nunnally says they do want people to take care of their situation sooner than later.

“The only thing we ask people to do is don’t wait until you are in a situation where you could be about to get into a squad car to say try and invoke this,” says Nunnally. “At that point, you’re wrapped in something more than what we can effect directly.”

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