Biloxi’s Municipal Court, as part of its settlement agreement with the ACLU, is resetting municipal court cases where defendants owe fines or fees dating back to March 2014.
The court is now sending notices to as many as 500 defendants letting them know that any existing arrest warrants against them for non-payment or failure to appear in court have been recalled, but they must appear in court for a compliance hearing. At the hearing, a judge will determine whether the defendant has the ability to pay fines, Â or should perform community service or other alternative sentences.
The court maintains that no one who appears at a hearing will be jailed for fines owed, but those who fail to appear could face additional charges.
Those with outstanding fines or who have failed to appear in court, regardless of whether they have received a notice, should contact the court at 228-435-6125 or via email at court@biloxi.ms.us. Defendants, by the way, can read the “Advisement of Rights and Obligations for Legal Financial Obligations and Community Service” online at  biloxi.ms.us/departments/municipal-court/
The American Civil Liberties Union and the city in March settled a federal lawsuit that prompted the city to initiate new policies and procedures that the ACLU says are a model for cities nationwide.
See the notices being mailed now
See a Spanish version of the notices
See a Vietnamese version of the notices
Learn more about the ACLU settlement
