Dear Editor:
I’ve been trying for 2.5 months to get a court date to contest my September 16th parking ticket. The court date printed on the ticket was Columbus Day, October 10th, a federal holiday, but of course the court is closed.
I wrote to the municipal court on September 22nd requesting a new date with some preferences. No response. You can call all day but no one answers the phone. It’s just absurd. I’ve called City Hall’s operators asking for another number but again no answer at the court. The court administrator should be fired immediately.
I was home on Friday, October 14th and went to the municipal court to schedule a date. I spoke to the scheduling clerk and another staffer there. They were just chatting away and the place was deserted at 3p.m. or so. I think the staffer knew me from my Talking Politics TV show and gave me her email address. I’ve emailed her twice but no response. The scheduling clerk advised me they were in the process of sending out notices to reschedule people from the October 10th date. The only notices I’ve gotten are 2 non-payment notices with additional penalties! It’s now 2 months since my original court date.
It’s pretty obvious to me that the place is dysfunctional and needs to be investigated and revamped. When I spoke in front of the council at a budget meeting over a year ago I commented how revenues from the municipal court were down $1,868,608, 20 percent, from SFY 2005 to SFY 2010….. That alone should be cause for alarm and an investigation. Does anyone work there?
It used to be you could walk in and go to the evening traffic court at 6p.m. but of course that was too convenient for “the little people”. We need a revolution in this city.
Mia Scanga, CPA
Jersey City