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Recorder's Court payments go online
Apr 03, 2009 (Savannah Morning News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Traffic offenders can now pay their Chatham County Recorder's Court citations online as the court upgrades its efforts to be user-friendly.
"It's long overdue," said Clerk Prince Johnson.
The program, which began March 2, will allow the court to "get into the 21st century," said Ed Caldwell, court services supervisor.
The court last year collected $4.3 million in fines either through the collection window on the first floor of the Chatham County Courthouse or by mail.
The new system is expected to bring in about $250,000 for the remainder of the year, Caldwell said.
The option will be available only up to the day before the assigned court date, Caldwell said.
"Once you go to court, you have to go to the cashier's window to pay," he said.
The process will be limited to traffic citations such as speeding, red light and stop sign violations, and it will be limited to single offenses, not multiple violations.
It will not include parking tickets or document violations such as no insurance, no driver's license and no vehicle tag.
The court joins Port Wentworth and Thunderbolt as the only municipal courts in the county offering online payment of traffic citations.
Port Wentworth Police Capt. Matt Libby was instrumental in getting the service started in his town in 2007.
"I just think this is a good tool for us," he said. "We need to offer it to people."
His program, like Thunderbolt's, uses Atlanta-based independent contractor "nCourt" to handle administrative issues.
The change in Chatham County Recorder's Court has been in the works for five years, Caldwell said.
The court went to a new computer system in August 2007 and since then has been working to get the kinks out.
"We're all learning as we go," Caldwell said.
HOW TO PAY
To pay a Chatham County Recorder's Court traffic fine online:
-- Go to Savannahga.gov.
-- Go to online services and scroll down to "Pay your traffic citations online."
-- Be specific with citation number and last name.
-- You may use a Visa or MasterCard only and pay only on a single citation.
-- Traffic Citation payments online page will list those citations not covered by the program.
-- If you have any questions, call Recorder's Court at 652-7425.
Other programs
Other local online municipal court payment programs include:
-- Thunderbolt at thunderbolttix.com
-- Port Wentworth at www.pwtix.com
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to http://www.savannahnow.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Savannah Morning News, Ga.
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