City of Arlington to Host Walk-in Community Court Aug. 31 to Help Individuals Resolve Class C Violations, Connect with Services

By Susan Schrock, Office of Communication

Posted on August 04, 2022, August 04, 2022

Editor's Note: This article was originally published July 27, 2022. The story was updated Aug. 4, 2022, to include an Facebook Live segments about the one-day event. 

Do you have unpaid traffic tickets or other Class C violations from the City of Arlington but not the financial means to pay for them? The Arlington Municipal Court will host a one-day, walk-in event next month designed to help individuals overcome financial or other barriers that are keeping them from resolving their citations and connect them with available resources to improve their quality of life.

The focus of Community Court is to provide individuals with Class C violations issued by the City of Arlington with some options and resources to resolve their cases, better their situation, and provide restorative justice to the community. No appointments are necessary for the event, which will be held from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the East Library and Recreation Center, 1817 New York Ave.

“We hope people take advantage of this one-day opportunity to resolve their outstanding warrants, without fear of arrest, and to connect with some outstanding resources available throughout our city and county that can make a real difference in their lives,” said Associate Municipal Judge Danielle Dulaney.

Government and non-profit agencies, including Mission Arlington, Goodwill North Central Texas, Destiny Empowerment Enterprises, Via Rideshare, the Arlington Public Library, and the Arlington Housing Authority, will be onsite to assist individuals in need. Community resources available onsite will include job placement, GED training, veterans’ services, job skills training, ESL services, food and hygiene products, and information about low-cost medical and veterinary services. Additionally, informational material for pet owners will be provided by the Texas Coalition for Animal Protection.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it is estimated that 10.5% of the population in Tarrant County lives in poverty. Additionally, more households in the county have entered homelessness than exited homelessness in January 2022, according to the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. These factors, along with rising inflation, led to the Arlington Municipal Court organizing the Community Court event to help individuals resolve some of the approximately 65,000 outstanding Class C misdemeanor warrants through alternative means, Dulaney said.

For example, some eligible low-income individuals may be able to resolve their citations by completing programs that include obtaining a GED or learning computer skills. Other opportunities include connecting those without a driver’s license or vehicle insurance with the City’s Via Rideshare public transportation service to avoid receiving future traffic citations; or working with a participating nonprofit to get their pet spayed or neutered and up-to-date on its vaccines.

Participants are encouraged to bring pay stubs or documentation of any form of public assistance to help determine eligibility. Individuals who are interested in participating in Goodwill North Central Texas’ job placement program are asked to bring two forms of identification with them to the Community Court event.

For more information, please contact the Action Center at 817-459-6777. Click here to visit the Arlington Municipal Court website.