Traffic Ticket Amnesty Program Underway In Fulton County

ATLANTA, GA -- The State Court of Fulton County has teamed up with the Office of the Solicitor General in rolling out a new traffic amnesty program to resolve unpaid citations, the county said. The Traffic Amnesty Program, which began Sept. 5 and will continue through the end of the year, provides amnesty to those who have pending citations from municipalities within Fulton County.

“The purpose of the Amnesty Program is to help restore driving records for as many drivers as possible
as well as to allow citizens to handle any outstanding charges, all at one time, often with reduced fines,”
said State Court Chief Judge Diane Bessen.

A formal kickoff of the program was held Monday at the Fulton County Government Center (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

“A valid driver’s license is a vital link to employment, independence and long-term individual and family
stability,” Fulton County Solicitor Keith Gammage added. “For those with unpaid traffic tickets,
insurmountable court fines have led to the loss of the privilege to drive, leaving little realistic hope of ever
climbing out from under it. This amnesty program can help relieve some of those barriers to success.”

Selected low-risk traffic charges were identified to take part in the Traffic Amnesty Program to be resolved
without seeing a judge. However, some violations require a court appearance, such as no proof of
insurance and failure to maintain insurance. In those instances, the citizen must come to the Fulton
County State Court Amnesty Program Office to request a hearing with a judge. Anyone who wishes to
contest their outstanding traffic citations have the option of requesting a hearing as well.

LeNora Ponzo, Fulton County State Court chief clerk, said anyone who resolves an outstanding citation through the program will receive documentation to submit to the Georgia Department of Driver Services or any other agency, if necessary, "to assist in restoring a driving record."

Anyone interested in taking advantage of the program can go to the Fulton County State Court from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Amnesty Program Office is located at 160 Pryor Street, SW, Suite J135, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

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