19 November Pinellas Clerk’s Office Cleared many Court Fines and Fees due to Generous Payments from Florida Rights and Restoration Coalition and Free Our Vote November 19, 2020 By News Archive Felony, Convictions, Fees, Fines, Court, Voting, Rights, Free Our Vote, Florida Rights and Restoration Coalition 0 Two organizations worked closely with the office of Ken Burke, Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, to pay off fines and costs of people who had a record of felony convictions. The non-profit organizations that propelled this effort were Florida Rights and Restoration Coalition, the group behind Amendment 4 which restores ex-felons’ voting rights, and Free Our Vote, which helps former felons in Florida learn about court fines/fees they might owe. These agencies provided a list of defendants, with demographic information, for the Clerk to search for outstanding cases for each defendant that was adjudicated guilty, with outstanding fines, costs, and restitution. Once the Clerk’s office received the requests from the nonprofit organizations, the staff worked diligently through many steps to ensure the payments were applied correctly, while keeping in mind the complexities of every case. The staff searched each individual name in the system by using filters to show felony cases only. Case history summaries were printed, and staff was able to filter the information using that data to determine which cases needed further review. Once each case was researched, the staff would go back into those cases to see if the disposition was adjudication withheld, adjudicated guilty, or if the State Attorney certified the case down to a misdemeanor. If the disposition was adjudication withheld or certified to a misdemeanor, this information would be conveyed to the organization for further direction regarding processing of the payment. If the disposition was adjudicated guilty, the staff would list those cases and review them for accuracy to reflect the correct outstanding balance. The Clerk’s office also worked hard to review the court ordered judgments and sentences to ensure what the court ordered the defendant to pay was accurate in the financial tab of the Pinellas County’s Case Management system. If restitution was ordered, the Clerk’s office would indicate it separately on the list, as in most cases the restitution is ordered to be paid to the victim or the Department of Corrections. If the defendant was ordered to pay restitution to the victim, the victim would have to provide a satisfaction of lien when the restitution was paid in full and record it in Official Records. If the defendant was ordered to pay restitution through the Department of Corrections, then the Department of Corrections would provide a letter to the Clerk indicating restitution was satisfied and that correspondence would go into the case file. In total, the Pinellas Clerk’s office received $1,530,930.13 from Florida Rights and Restoration Coalition and $32,920.57 from Free Our Vote. “We are especially grateful to Pinellas County Clerk, Ken Burke, and his team, who worked tirelessly with us,” stated Dr. Neel Sukhatme, co-founder and director of Free Our Vote. “Thanks to them, Free Our Vote was able to clear felony court fines/fees for 619 individuals in the county prior to the November election.” Many citizens were surprised to hear their fines and costs were paid by the nonprofit organizations and were delighted to learn that their voting rights could be restored by applying to the Office of Executive Clemency. "The amazing work of these two non-profits helped clear the financial burden many Pinellas County citizens had which affected their ability to vote," stated Clerk Burke. “This impactful initiative also helped to raise awareness among citizens to inquire about whether or not they had outstanding fines.” Related Articles Voting Rights: Felony Conviction Amounts Due to the Pinellas Clerk’s Office A recent Federal Court decision affirmed the Florida Statutes requiring an individual with a felony conviction to complete all terms of a felony sentence, including payment of all court fines, fees, and restitution, in order for that individual’s voting rights to be restored. Although the administration of voting eligibility and registration is under the purview of the Supervisor of Elections and the Secretary of State, Clerks play a role in providing individuals with felony convictions with the information needed to satisfy the amounts due under their sentences. Pinellas Clerk Permanently Closing Tyrone Branch Office On New Year’s Day 2019 Effective Tuesday, January 1, 2019, the Tyrone Branch Traffic Court and Tyrone Branch Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s office located at 1800 66th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL, will be permanently closed due to the Courts Consolidation Project. The Clerk’s Tyrone office closure does not impact other agencies located at the branch, such as the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector, which will remain open. Domestic Violence Survivors Receive Much Needed Help from Pinellas Clerk’s Office Fundraiser Continuing with a yearly tradition, the Pinellas Clerk’s office led with their hearts and collected a grand total of $5,744.75 through the sale of t-shirts, gift basket raffle tickets and donations during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The monetary donation was divided between CASA and the Haven to further their lifesaving efforts in the county. Transfer of Pending Appeals from the Circuit Court to the District Court of Appeal Effective January 1, 2021, Appeals of county court decisions pending before circuit courts and subject to the jurisdiction change will be transferred automatically to the appropriate district court of appeal. Beginning January 1, 2021, parties appealing certain county court decisions will have their appeal heard in the district courts (pursuant to ch. 2020-61, Laws of Fla.). Tyrone Branch Office Permanently Closed On Tuesday, January 1, 2019, the Tyrone Branch Traffic Court and Tyrone Branch Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s office located at 1800 66th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL, is permanently closed due to the Courts Consolidation Project. Time is Running Out to Save Big During the Pinellas Clerk’s Start Smart Campaign An abundance of citizens have already taken advantage of the special event hosted by the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s office. This community event is set to continue until Friday, March 10, 2017 and it has already helped many citizens reset the past and save a lot of money. Comments are closed.
