DuPAGE COUNTY COURT CONTRACTS WITH AGENCIES TO COLLECT PAST DUE FINES AND FEES

Court Hopes to Improve on Current Collection Rate

WHEATON – DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett and DuPage County Clerk of the Circuit Court Chris Kachiroubas announced today that their offices have entered into agreements with two of the nation’s leading collection agencies in an effort to collect unpaid fines and fees due to the Court as the result of legal judgments in criminal cases.

            Alliance One, out of the State of Washington, and Harris and Harris, Chicago, entered into one-year contracts with the Court to expand efforts in recovering money owed in unpaid court fees and fines.  The DuPage County Court already boasts an outstanding collection rate but believes it can increase that number with the signing of these agreements. 

            Collection efforts of Court imposed fines on criminal defendants has been an on-going effort with recent initiatives, including these contracts that enhance the collections of money owed.  In 2004, legislation supported by State’s Attorney Birkett and the Circuit Court Clerks’ Association allows using private collection agencies to collect any default in payment of any criminal fine.  The law also allows that the payment to the collection agencies is to be charged to the criminal defendant.

            “The implementation of this law in DuPage County is a   furtherance of   my longstanding pursuit to increase collections and accountability from those persons who have thumbed their nose at the system,” commented Birkett.  “By entering into these collection agreements with Alliance One and Harris and Harris, DuPage County stands to benefit greatly.  In the past our collection efforts were done in house, using our attorneys as collection agents.  With these new agreements the county will benefit not only from the additional revenue generated but also by allowing our attorneys to focus on other priorities in the office.”  Birkett also praised Chief Judge Ann Jorgensen for her commitment to this effort.

            The agreements are the result of more than eight months of research and evaluation between County officials and collection agencies executives from across the country.  The contracts contain assurances that the highest ethical standards will be practiced and that all activities of the agencies will be monitored by the State’s Attorney’s Office and Clerk’s Office.

            “While the vast majority of people who are fined by our court system pay their debts, a growing number believe they can simply ignore court orders and shirk their responsibilities,” Kachiroubas said. “In recent years, that problem has increased to the point where tens of millions of dollars are owed to DuPage County taxpayers. Joe Birkett and I think its time to send a clear message to scofflaws that the sentence they received from the Court is not optional. They must pay their debts to the taxpayers of this county.”

            Birkett went on to comment about the message these agreements send to would-be scofflaws.  “Despite the fact that many years, perhaps decades, may have passed since judgment was rendered against you, you are still responsible for these criminal fines and we intend to do everything in our power to hold violators accountable.”

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