Judge Brian Haynes
In 2015, we said goodbye to Commissioner Ronald Creighton (retired), and hello to Commissioner Peter Fagan, who is assigned to the Walnut Creek Court in the morning, and the Richmond Court in the afternoon.
Comm. Richards now hears Pittsburg cases in the morning. His afternoon calendar in Martinez is an eclectic mix that includes name changes, small claims and unlawful detainers.
Traffic matters changed at the state level. The Judicial Council recently adopted California Rule of Court 4.105(c), which outlines when a defendant is required to deposit bail prior to a court appearance. Immediately thereafter, our court made necessary changes to ensure compliance with this Rule.
The court is currently in the first few months of a legislatively-required statewide Amnesty Program, which offers to those that meet specific criteria, a 50 to 80 percent reduction in outstanding fines and fees. The intent of this program is to provide relief to individuals who qualify and have found themselves in default of a court-ordered debt obligation.
One important difference between this Amnesty Program and the one in 2012 is that defendants may now set up a payment plan for the reduced amnesty total, and any hold on their driver’s license will be released. Also, if defendants are deemed to be in good standing on a current payment plan, they can have their license reinstated immediately.
Another continuing area of focus for the Traffic Division is helping defendants better understand their options once they have received a citation. We have modified our courtesy notices to add options such as how to set up a payment plan. We also explain what will occur should no action be taken by the defendant on their citation. The court has also updated the self-help website related to traffic matters.
We are pleased to report that the Centralized Traffic Unit is staying current on citations entered into the case management system once the notice is received by police agencies. This has decreased the long lines at each of our Traffic Court locations, and has significantly lowered the number of phone calls received at our call center.
While I remain the Supervising Judge of the Traffic Division, the most important work is performed by our dedicated staff members. This year brought with it the most significant changes in traffic-related law in many years, and I would be lost without the professional and creative input of Kate Bieker, our deputy executive officer.
Bieker and all of the Traffic Unit staff have worked tirelessly to implement recent changes mandated by the Judicial Council and the legislature. I am confident these changes will result in better access to justice for all members of our community.