Earle leaning toward automated fine payment service

Earle leaning toward automated fine payment service

Switch would offer nohassle, court- free online option for citations

news@theeveningtimes.com

Got a speeding ticket in Earle?

No problem.

Earle may switch to an automated payment system which will allow violators who get pulled over and issued a traffic citation a chance to pay online.

Capt. Fitzgerald Couch brought the city council information about Court Solutions, a company which streamlines the processing and collection of traffic ticket payments by allowing courts to accept credit card payments over the Internet.

“We are pretty much outdated,” Couch said. “We don’t have a card machine to accept payments. And most people want to use their debit or credit card to pay, especially if they live out of the area or in another state.”

Court Solutions is a free system available to cities which collects and processes all payments.

There is no obligation or cost on cities who participate.

The cost to use the system is underwritten by a nomi- nal user fee paid for by the violator in the payment transaction.

The system allows cities and courts to accept credit card payments and reduces physical traffic into the court.

Users can make payments 24/7 by credit or debit card via the Internet site www.myfinepayment.com.

Couch said locally Marion uses the system to collect its fines.

“We don’t have a website,” Couch said. “So this will help a lot.”

Currently, violators can either pay the fine at the police department or at court.

Couch said this system would eliminate the city handling any physical cash. “I don’t want to be handling any cash,” Couch said.

Councilman Kenneth Cross agreed.

“I don’t think the dispatcher should be collecting money,” Cross said.

Councilwoman Jimmie Barham said she likes the idea of being able to go online

and pay. “This would expedite that,” Barham said.

By Mark Randall