Amnesty Program

If you owe outstanding fines and court costs to the City or County and currently have a non-payment warrant outstanding for your arrest you may qualify for a new Amnesty program being offered by the St. Francis County District Court. The Amnesty program offers the opportunity to pay your outstanding fines and court costs without being arrested and spending any time in jail. There are other important benefits as well.

During the amnesty period, which will run from February 3, 2015 to April 30, 2015, if you are behind on your fines and costs payments, you may go to the St. Francis County District Court Clerk's Office to pay your account.

This program represents an opportunity to those who have gotten behind on his or her fines and cost payments, regardless of the reasons, and have not gone to the Sheriff's office or the Police Department to pay on their fines out of fear of being arrested and placed in custody. If you decide to take advantage of the amnesty program you will not be arrested, no additional court costs will be added for a non-payment warrant, and you will not be required to appear before the District Court Judge.

The AMNESTY PROGRAM works as follows:

1. You will be required to pay fifty (50%) of your outstanding fines and court costs which are over twelve (12) months old. Any court costs and warrant fees will be waived/dismissed.

2. You will not be arrested for non-payment of these old fines and any non-payment warrant would be pulled immediately and dismissed.

3. If your drivers's license has been suspended, you will be given a suspension release form to take to Driver Control.

4. You will not be required to appear in District court.

5. Your income tax refund will not be intercepted.

 

Those wishing to take advantage of this unique opportunity for amnesty should contact the St. Francis County District Court Clerk's  Office, at 870-261-1410 to inquire about their balance, and to see if they qualify for this program.

Currently, more than a million dollars is owed to the City, County, and State for outstanding fines and court costs. This is money that the City, County, and State use in the administration of justice including jail costs. All citizens suffer when these fines and court costs go uncollected. Some of the balances even represent money owed to victims of crimes that remain unpaid.

For further information, please contact local law enforcement, the ST. FRANCIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT CLERK at 870-261-1410.