Coronavirus leads to suspension of traffic court, closure of police lobbies
Traffic Court in Stanislaus was suspended Wednesday through Friday, April 17 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Anyone scheduled for traffic court during that time period will, over the next few weeks, receive a written notice by mail with the date and time of their continued hearing, according to an announcement on the court’s website.
Law enforcement officers who write traffic tickets during this time are being instructed to schedule court dates 90 to 120 days out instead of the normal 60, according to Modesto Police spokeswoman Sharon Bear.
Anyone with a fix-it ticket that needs to be signed off has been given a 90-day extension by the courts for proof of correction.
Police Department lobbies around the county also closed Wednesday except to provide a few select services, including registering sex offenders and providing releases on vehicles that have been towed. Some departments are requesting people first schedule an appointment first.
People can request police reports online or by phone and departments are waiving the fees to mail or email them.
Turlock Police Sgt. Mike Parmley said staff at the department as well as dispatchers taking 911 calls are asking a list of questions like whether people have traveled to heavily impacted areas or if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 before scheduling appointments or sending officers to certain calls.
Officers around the county are still responding to non-emergency calls if requested but every department is asking people to file reports online or by phone for things like vandalism, lost or stolen property, non injury hit and runs or fraud.
Officers are contacting victims by phone and in some cases, like in Turlock, utilizing FaceTime so the victim can still talk to an officer face to face, so to speak.
While many of the same precautions are being taken by law enforcement around the county there are some variations from agency to agency. Call your respective agency if you are in need of non-emergency services for more details and follow them on social media for updates about their daily operations.
For questions regarding traffic tickets call Traffic Court at (209) 530-3100, select option #1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
If you have questions or concerns regarding COVID-19 exposure, call the Public Health Hotline at (209) 558-7535
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 11:03 AM.
