Melissa Litteral, Greene County adult probation director, said the amnesty applies only to nonviolent offenders who have completed all aspects of their community control sentence, but have warrants for failing to fully repay fines and court costs.
“If they didn’t comply with the other conditions of their probation they aren’t eligible,” Litteral said.
Greene County Court officials decided to offer the amnesty months after area municipal courts, in both Greene and Montgomery counties, had success with their programs.
Susan Anderson, Fairborn Municipal clerk of court, said Judge Beth Root likes the program because it helps people repay their debts and frees up needed jail space.
Miami Valley court systems are among the first in the state to offer amnesty to misdemeanor and felony offenders who neglected to pay their fines, said Juli Tice, president of the Ohio Chief Probation Officers Association. Tice applauded the effort as a way to “save resources,” but added many judges would lift bench warrants anytime fines and costs are paid in full. Offenders also can use community service hours to repay fines, but not court costs, she said.
Litteral hopes to resolve as many as 200 outstanding bench warrants for nonviolent offenders who only owe money to the court. Having the fines repaid will have “minimal impact” on her 2010 budget, but will allow her probation officers to concentrate on more serious offenders.
“We’re not letting anyone off the hook,” she said. “I want officers spending their time on people with violent offenses that we need to be looking more closely at.”
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