Friday, January 9th, 2015
Local traffic, misdemeanor cases accessible online
By Kathy Thompson
CELINA - Cases involving traffic and misdemeanor violations can now be accessed online.
The Celina Municipal Court late last month went online at
www.celinamunicipalcourt.org where cases can now be publicly accessed. In several weeks the public will be able to make payments via credit or debit card for citations, court costs and other fees.
Mercer County Common Pleas Court records have been accessible online for several years. Celina's clerk of courts Barbara Painter said it was time for municipal court to get on board.
"This was definitely the time to do this," she said. "Most courts in the state are online and we felt the time was right."
Painter said it cost the court $2,000 to develop the website through Creative Microsystems Inc. of Englewood. Computer funds collected from case fees paid the bill, she said.
"We've been collecting the fund for the past 20 years," Painter said. "That fund takes care of all our computers, the forms and paper that have to go along with the computers, anything to do with the computers. No money was taken out of the city funds, so not only does it help the city but it helps the consumer."
A small fee will be charged to pay fines and citations, she said. Painter said she is confident consumers will take advantage of the system. Her office has for years received calls inquiring if payment were possible via the Internet, she said.
"It's the way of the world right now," Painter said, adding many people today pay most of their bills online.
Painter said the service will help consumers pay fees on time on the secure site and make it easier for those who can't come to court for some reason.
"On a bad weather day or if someone can't get in to pay their fees, then they can just go online," Painter explained, adding it will be a big help for people living out of town or out of state.
The court currently cannot accept payments over the phone because of a malfunction in the credit card machine, she said.
"We take checks from Ohio banks, cash, money orders and cashier's checks," Painter said. "But once this system gets up and running, I'm sure we'll be taking more payments from credit or debit cards than ever before."
The new service also should reduce the number of cases the staff must access for other agencies or businesses, she said.
"Now they can just do it themselves," Painter said.
The records are kept up to date; court decisions go online immediately, she added.
If problems arise, the records all are backed up by CMI, Painter said.
