[00:00:03]
AND BEFORE I BEGIN WITH THE PRESS CONFERENCE, LET ME THANK ALL THE JURORS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM.THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE WITH US TODAY.
I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME OUT AND OBEY YOUR JURY SUMMONS.
THIS, UM, ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY IS ONE THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
IT IS OUR FALL AMNESTY, UH, 2022.
I'M GONNA TAKE THIS OFF SO THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UM, WE'VE ENTITLED IT AGAIN, LET'S DO IT AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT INITIATIVE THAT MUNICIPAL COURTS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, AND WE ARE NOW STARTING BACK UP.
COVID HAS, HAS TAKEN A LOT OUT OF EVERYONE IN OUR CITY.
IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS OF PAIN AND AGONY, LIFE CHANGING SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE ARE LOSING HOUSES, PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS.
AND SO WE HAVE DECIDED THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE TRYING TO FIND YOUR WAY BACK, WE ARE HERE TO HELP.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE RECEIVED CITATIONS DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS, DURING COVID THIS PERIOD, YOUR LIFE HAS CHANGED AND WE ARE NOW HERE TO MAKE IT BETTER.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THIS PROGRAM IS MAKING SURE THAT IT IS INTENDED TO ASSIST THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS WHO HAVE CITY OF HOUSTON CITATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN LINGERING OVER THEM FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
THOSE CITATIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO PAY, WANTED TO PAY, COULDN'T PAY, TRIED TO GET CLOSE TO PAYING, AND YOU JUST DIDN'T MAKE IT.
SO NOW THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR YOU.
UH, THOSE CASES THAT YOU HAVE THAT HAVE BECOME DELINQUENT BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST, 2022.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AMNESTY PROGRAM ARE PARKING CITATIONS, BUT ANY MOVING OR NON-TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, YOUR THEFTS, YOUR ASSAULTS, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH MOVING VIOLATIONS AND NON-MOVING VIOLATIONS, WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU.
WE'VE BEEN DOING IT, LIKE I SAID, CONSISTENTLY FOR THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS.
AND THIS IS ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST THE CITIZENS.
ALL OF THE COURT LOCATIONS ARE IN OPERATION AND ARE READY TO ASSIST YOU.
AND PLEASE BE ADVISED IF YOU HEAR NOTHING ELSE THAT I SAY ABOUT OUR ASSISTANCE AND BEING READY TO HELP YOU BE ADVISED THAT WE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL NOT ARREST ANYONE WHO COMES IN AND TRIES TO TAKE CARE AND HANDLE THEIR BUSINESS TO MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER AND EASIER FOR THEM TO, TO OPERATE IN THEIR LIVES.
SO WE ARE HERE TO RESOLVE YOUR OLD CASES, YOUR DELINQUENT CASES.
WE HAVE ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT PLANS TO, TO DO THINGS, HELP YOU ASSIST, HELP ASSIST YOU IN PAYING THEM.
WE HAVE JUDGES THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND ARE READY TO HELP, AND WE NEED YOU TO COME IN, NOT BE AFRAID TO COME IN, BUT TO COME IN, TALK TO ONE OF OUR AMNESTY JUDGES, AND BE ABLE TO COME OUT FEELING MUCH BETTER ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIFE.
IT'S HARD RIDING AROUND WHEN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE WARRANTS.
SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU COME IN AND SEE US.
OUR AMNESTY PROGRAM WILL RUN THIS YEAR FROM STARTING TODAY, OCTOBER THE 28TH.
IT WILL END ON NOVEMBER THE 19TH, 2022.
SO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE GAP OF THE, OF THE DATES THAT WE ARE, WE'RE GUARANTEEING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HERE TO ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR DELINQUENT CITATIONS.
ALL RIGHT? SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THIS GREAT PROGRAM TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
AGAIN, WE THANK MAYOR TURNER FOR AT LEAST HIS SUPPORT AND, AND HIS ENCOURAGEMENT BECAUSE HE DOES ENCOURAGE US TO DO ALL WE CAN TO HELP THE CITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THIS PROGRAM.
UH, AS A DIRECTOR AND PRESIDING JUDGE, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE CITIZENS FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND ALL OF MY STAFF FOR COOPERATING WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO NOW WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NELLY SANTOS, TO DISCUSS THE PROGRAM IN SPANISH NORMAL.
[00:06:54]
TAKE QUESTION.UM, I KIND OF BRING THIS DOWN.
JUST SO IT'S NOT IN THAT PLACE.
UM, AND ARE YOU READY, SIR? ALMOST, ALMOST.
YOU WANT, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? WHAT HAS HAS BEEN THE, THE, UH, RESPONSE? YOU KNOW, MY SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW HAVE A, A TICKET OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, THEY OR ATTORNEY AND, UH, THEY, THEY JUST GET BOMBARDED WITH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE YEARS PASSED.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PEOPLE COMING IN AND SAY TO THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO MAKE A RESOLUTION WITH THEM OR COMING DIRECTLY TO THE, THE COURT, MUNICIPAL COURT, COURT CENTER? UH, YOU, YOU GET A HUGE RESPONSE TO THIS, AND YOU HAVE IN THE PAST COURT? YES.
WE HAVE GOTTEN A VERY HUGE RESPONSE IN THE PAST.
WE, THE ATTORNEYS CAN COME IN IF, IF THE CITIZENS GO TO THE ATTORNEYS, THE ATTORNEYS ARE, ARE COMING IN AND TALKING TO THE JUDGES ABOUT THEIR CLIENT'S CASES AS WELL.
AND DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SIR? UM, THAT WHAT, I'M TRYING TO THINK.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO TELL US? YOU KNOW, UH, ADVISING THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TAKE ACTION NOW.
YOU KNOW, THE ASTROS, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DISTRACTED WITH THE WORLD SERIES IN TOWN.
IT'S, UH, TIME TO TAKE NOTE OF THIS.
AND OUR, UM, OUR HOURS OF OPERATION, OR I GOTTA, WE'RE GONNA BE OPEN AND FROM, IT'S OF COURSE NOT ON THIS PIECE, EIGHT TO 10.
AND THE ASTROS ARE NOT PLAYING ALL THOSE HOURS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN FOUR AND BE DONE.
SO YOU WILL HAVE THE REST FROM, UM, THE REST OF NOVEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF THESE CASES.
I GUESS WHAT I REALLY WANNA SAY TO
[00:10:01]
TO, TO THE CITIZENS IS THAT WHILE WE ARE IN OPERATION AND WE ARE A BUSINESS AND WE'RE A COURTHOUSE, THE, THE THEME THAT I WANT TO RELATE TO THEM IS THAT WE TRY TO BE FAIR AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE HAPPENS.UM, COVID HAPPENED TO US, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD GET CITATIONS AND LOST JOBS.
AND SO THE TRAFFIC CITATION THAT THEY RECEIVED DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WAS JUST NOT PRIORITY.
SO NOW WHEN THINGS ARE BACK TOGETHER, WHAT WE WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND IS, COME DOWN, LET US HELP YOU, LET US WORK WITH YOU.
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY, I CAN'T, I, I CAN'T PAY 900, BUT I CAN PAY 500.
THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT, THAT WE ARE HERE TO DO, IS TO LISTEN TO YOU SEE WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE AND HELP YOU NOW, I GUESS WOULD BE A VERY GOOD TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE HORIZON, YOU KNOW, THE FLU, THE COVID RIGHT.
SOME OF IT'S A, A BIT ON THE RISE WITH THE TOLL.
AND, UH, NOW WOULD BE THE GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA GET IT OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE ALL OF THE HOLIDAYS HIT YOU AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, ASTROS ELECTION AND AMNESTY.
SO YOU CAN PICK WHICH ORDER YOU WANT, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO ALL THREE AND YOU, AND, AND YOU TAKE CARE OF IT, BE A SUCCESS.
AND IF I COULD SAY JUST ONE MORE THING TO GIVE PEOPLE, THEY CAN MAKE THEIR, UH, THEY CAN MAKE PAYMENTS, UH, BY THE PHONE, BY CONTACTING THREE ONE ONE OR, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOUR GLASSES FOG UP.
YOU HAVE THE DATES AND THE TIMES, BUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT PEOPLE SH I I REALLY WANT TO IMPRESS UPON THE ONES WHO ARE AFRAID TO COME TO COURT.
FOR WHATEVER REASON IT IS, YOU WILL NOT BE ARRESTED IN ANY OF MY COURTHOUSES.
AND THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS AND ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE SIR ABOUT THE COLLECTIONS.
IN THE PAST, WE WERE CLOSE TO LIKE A MILLION ON A COUPLE OF THEM, AND IT WAS, AND WE, UH, DISMISSED ABOUT 300,000.
SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE HERE TO HELP.
SO I JUST HOPE EVERYONE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.