Traffic ticket late fees forgiven

Late fees stemming from certain traffic violations are being waived this month in Terrebonne Parish as part of an amnesty program.

Officials are calling it Amnesty April, and it forgives the $100 fee assessed to individuals who have not paid their ticket fine or appeared in court by their assigned date. Payment during April will also eliminate the connected arrest warrant and result in the reinstatement of a suspended driver’s license if there are no other unaddressed citations.

“We’re giving the public the benefit of the doubt,“ said Terrebonne Parish’s First Assistant District Attorney Carlos Lazarus. “The public is exposed and they probably don’t even know about it.”

Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, parking violations and certain other offenses are not eligible for the program, which ends April 30.

The district attorney’s office has roughly 3,600 outstanding tickets, a common number over the years, Lazarus said. The amnesty program is not a reaction to low collections, he added.

Lazarus likened the program to the state’s tax amnesty program in 2009 and libraries around the country offering annual fine forgiveness on overdue books, this year from April 14-20.

Those interested in taking advantage of the program are asked to call (985) 873-6500 to verify eligibility.

Traffic violators who wish to pay their fine in lieu of pleading not guilty in a courtroom have number of avenues to do so, 24 hours per day. Violators can pay with a credit card over the phone or online, in person with cash or by mail with a money order.

For in person payment, visit the Terrebonne Parish Courthouse Annex Traffic Department, located at 7856 Main St., Houma.

The mailing address is Terrebonne Parish Criminal Court Fund, P.O. Box 3600, Houma, 70361. Money orders must be made out to the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Court Fund (TPCCF).

To pay online, visit www.tpda.org.