Experience the wonder of live theater by purchasing a ticket to watch Roger & Hammerstein’s classic musical “Cinderella” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 14, 2018 on the stage of the beautiful Majestic Theater in San Antonio.

Jose G. Landa

Staff Writer

The Eagle Pass Municipal Court continues sorting out fines and holding court in efforts to collect ticket fines and hear out any cases that go in front of the city’s municipal court judges. 

The Maverick County Sheriff’s Office will be monitoring traffic closely as the school year begins. 

The Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce is currently selling carnival tickets at 50 percent off now through March 24. 

More fines are being paid in Maverick County thanks to a payment plan option. 

Maverick County Justice of the Peace David Castañeda said even people with arrest warrants are presenting themselves because of the opportunity pay off their debts in increments.  

“The thing is to not put people in a rush to where they’re hiding. The economy has been difficult right now, and one should understand that. ” said Castañeda, adding that the payments could help people save anywhere from $250 to $300. “The law says the fine should be paid within three months, but the judge is the one that determines, based on a person’s income and expenses, [if they qualify for a payment plan.] ”

Those who have requested the payment plan could potentially add months to the time they have to pay a fine. “I’ve had someone get up to 18 months, but the fine was very high, very severe,” said Castañeda.  Despite the longer time period it takes for people to pay their fines, he said there is definitely a positive effect to giving people this option.

“At one time, we had calculated $3 to $5 million in owed fines. Right now I can’t tell you the number, but this plan has reduced it,” said Castañeda. “We’re seeing an impressive increase in payments.”

Castañeda said the majority of fines are given for driving without insurance or without a license. 

“If we have, for example ten tickets a week, eight are going to be one of those,” said Castañeda. Many times people are driving without a license because it has been suspended as a result of previous DWI charges or driving without insurance. People often claim they left their proof of insurance at home or in another vehicle, or even try to use insurance for a different vehicle than the one they were in when they were fined.If the correct insurance is presented, Castañeda said, “in my court, we won’t even charge them the $25 to remove the charges.”

Alarmante  el número de conductores sin licencia

El JP David Castañeda  nos informa sobre la respuesta de las personas que tienen multas pendientes.  El señor Castañeda nos informa que el Estado  está presionando para que toda aquella persona que tenga  multas pendientes que se acerque a sus jueces de paz ya que se les está dando una prorroga de hasta 3 meses para pagar sus multas, eso es lo que dice la ley. Sin embargo, tomando en cuenta la economía se les está dando un tiempo si es necesario mas amplio para pagar sus multas dependiendo  tambien del costo de  la multa, pero tambien revisan sus  entradas  y de allí se forma un plan de pago.  Si las personas acuden voluntariamente antes de ser arrestados se estarian ahorrando cerca de $250.00.  

Nos sorpendimos cuando le preguntamos a el señor Castañeda  sobre las multas mas comunes, y nos   dijo que cada 10 multas,  8 son por falta de licencia o por DWI, hay muchas personas que manejan  en nuestras calles sin licencia. Por eso se les recuerda que si tiene multas pendientes que visite a sus jueces de paz y busquen hacer un arreglo.