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VI. PUBLIC SAFETY <br /> <br />A. COURT <br /> <br /> Municipal Court has a focus on collection of fines as a means of ensuring that sanctions are <br /> enforced. The court is also concerned with ensuring other sanctions are available such as work <br /> crews, community service and jail. <br /> <br /> 1. FUNDING FOR COUNTY JAIL SPACE AND PROGRAMS <br /> <br /> The City will oppose efforts to reduce local funding for jail facilities. The City supports <br /> increases for jail programs, including road and work crews. The Municipal Court <br /> depends on the availability of jail space for municipal offenders who are given mandatory <br /> jail sentences and uses road and work crews for non-violent offenders in an effort to give <br /> these offenders an opportunity to make a contribution to their community. <br /> <br /> 2. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY STANDARDS <br /> <br /> Local government should have the right to set community standards and be able to <br /> maintain those standards through public safety and justice activities. While recognizing <br /> the limited jurisdiction of municipal courts, the City will oppose legislation which would <br /> mandate the types of cases which may or may not be heard in municipal courts. <br /> Municipal courts provide a speedy and cost effective way to deal with lesser violations of <br /> the law, many of which would not be heard in Circuit Court. <br /> <br /> 3. COURT OF RECORD <br /> <br /> Municipal courts are currently prohibited from recording court proceedings, which allows <br /> defendants a second trial by appealing to Circuit Court. Allowing municipal courts to be <br /> courts of record would speed up the justice process and reduce costs, and promote public <br /> trust in decisions rendered in municipal courts. <br /> <br /> 4. UNPAID FEES, FINES AND PARKING CITATIONS <br /> <br /> The City supports legislation to allow recovery of unpaid fees and fines by withholding <br /> vehicle registration renewals, by attaching income tax refunds through the State <br /> Department of Revenue or through the use of a collection agency. The City supports <br /> legislation to allow local authority in application of gamishments as a collections tool. <br /> The City also supports legislation to balance the burden of uncollected fines and fees <br /> between the City and the State. <br /> <br /> 5. INCREASES IN BAlL SCHEDULE, FINES AND FEES <br /> <br />City of Eugene Legislative Policies, 2005 Session 33 <br /> <br /> <br />