LUBBOCK, Texas — The Lubbock Municipal Court opened Monday after being closed since late March.
Jodi Timms said she had traffic tickets she received right before the city issued its closure of the court. She said she’s glad it’s back so she can pay in person.
“Having them on my record and not being able to pay them off is a little concerning, because you know you don’t want to be going out going in your car somewhere and you’ve got tickets,” she said.
Timms said along with having to cope with the pandemic, having her citations was draining.
“From financially to emotionally, mentally, everything,” she said. “I have a son who has a real low immune system and then in the beginning I was furloughed from my job.”
Judge Jorge Hernández, the presiding judge at the court, said he and his staff have spoken with numerous people who have been affected financially by the pandemic.
“We knew that the public was feeling the pressure of the pandemic, of being unemployed, of not having any income coming in, and so we worked with them as far as rearranging their payment plan, waiving fines and court costs reducing their fine, and court costs,” he said. “On an individual basis but we did it quite a bit.
He said since the court opened, they have implemented new protocols to keep people safe.
“We are encouraging everybody to wear face masks coming to municipal court. We are also limiting the number of people who can come per tickets,” he said.
He also said people at the court have their temperatures checked and are asked COVID-19 related questions.
Judge Hernández said he urges people to contact the court remotely.
“We’re encouraging the public if you can please take care of it online,” he said. “Safety is of great importance to the public and to my staff and we want everyone to be safe.”
