As the summer winds down, our office has been hard at work helping our customers. New laws have taken effect that affect jury service and who can request a postponement. We've successfully implemented our online payment plan system and the results are resounding. We added an additional location to extended hours to expand our reach to help customers. We've attended various community events in our mobile unit, and we continue to develop innovations that will roll out soon.
Additionally, we have been working hard with the Miami-Dade County Administration preparing for implementation of the voter-approved Amendment 10, which transitions the Finance and Audit functions fully under the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller on October 1, 2024, and its impacts to the County budget. We have presented a robust yet fiscally conservative budget for the Clerk of the Board, Finance and Audit functions that ensure continued service levels to the residents of Miami-Dade County.
Understanding the importance technology plays in providing efficient and effective service to our customers, we continue looking for tools that will make the user experience on our website and at our facilities a positive one. I am looking at potential uses of artificial intelligence for our website to provide our customers with a more deliberate guided engagement enabling you to successfully transact virtually.
Lastly, bringing services to your community continues to be one of my priorities. Not only are we actively promoting and looking for opportunities to partner with local government offices and other community events to avail residents of our services through the mobile services unit, but we are also working with the Miami-Dade County Internal Services Department to co-locate services in future government center facilities in the areas of west and north Dade.
On a personal note, all of these updates and upgrades are not possible without the hard work of my team. I am truly appreciative for their dedication to the office.
On-Line Payment Plans
Upon my appointment into this position, I proactively met with community leaders to hear their concerns as it relates to simplifying the payment process for individuals who have court-related obligations who are going through financial difficulties due to the rising cost of living in our community. I took those concerns and suggestions and implemented an on-line payment plan system so that customers can pay their court obligations in monthly installments.
I am happy to announce that since the inception of the payment plan program we've established over ninety-one hundred (9,200) payment plans and this number grows each day. These payment plans are critical to ensure that our customers with outstanding court balances can establish reasonable monthly payments to gradually pay off their obligations and ensure that more penalties are not applied, and the risk of a driver's license suspension doesn't occur.
NORTH DADE JUSTICE CENTER ADDED
TO EXTENDED HOURS
THREE (3) LOCATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
I am thrilled to announce that I've added a third (3rd) location to help customers afterhours. With the success of the South Dade Justice Center and Joseph Caleb Center Court adding an additional location was an easy decision. I want to thank all of our staff who are working extended hours to help our customers.
Since implementing extended office hours, we have successfully assisted over four thousand (4,000) customers and collected an impressive sum of over $178,000 in fines and fees. Our dedication to customer service and revenue collection shines through with these results, showcasing our unwavering commitment to assisting our community. We invite you to explore our online services further to discover how we can assist you with your needs.
Jury Dutyis a civic responsibility in Miami-Dade County, where residents are randomly chosen to serve as jurors in either civil or criminal court trials.
To qualify you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and meet other criteria as per state and local laws. If you've served previously, you may be called again NO SOONER than ONE YEAR and ONE DAY after your last summons.
Effective July 1, 2024, new mothers who have given birth within six months before their reporting date may request to be excused from jury service by submitting the appropriate documentation.
Additionally, expectant mothers and/or any parent who is not employed full time and who has custody of a child under six years of age may be excused from jury service upon request.
Over the summer, our office attended various community events to allow for the expansion of our services that we provide in-house for those customers who are unable to visit our offices during normal business hours to be equally served. Mobile events included the First Annual Juneteenth Emancipation Exposition hosted by the City of Homestead, North Miami Councilman Pierre Frantz Charles District 4 satellite office opening, and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez's Saturday office hours.
During the June "Second Chance/ Sealing and Expunging" program two-hundred and six (206) individuals were assisted and one-hundred and fourteen (114) were eligible to seal or expunge their one arrest. At the July "Second Chance/ Sealing and Expunging" program the team was able to assist one hundred and two (102) individuals and fourty-nine (49) were able to seal or expunge their one arrest.
Thank you to all the community partners that make this event possible.
Property Fraud Alert System
One of my top priorities has been informing and assisting the citizens and property owners of Miami-Dade County as it relates to property fraud. Prior to me assuming the position of Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, I co-sponsored House Bill (HB) 1419 which addressed property fraud head on.
This free registration alert system alerts property owners of potential property fraud. Property fraud occurs when an individual uses a forged document to sell, transfer or incumber property that does not belong to them. Forged documents may or may not affect the property, however, it may give the appearance to the rest of the world that the status or ownership of the property has been changed. If you believe you have been a victim of property fraud, removing this change from your title can be a complicated process.
