Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

Civics & Democracy

LA County’s courts pause past-due debt collections in response to wildfires

Exterior view of a court building in downtown Los Angeles, where trees line the sidewalks, with skyscrapers in the background.
The Stanley Mosk Courthouse, part of Los Angeles County Superior Court.
(
Julia Barajas
/
LAist
)

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Topline:

L.A. County’s courts are temporarily pausing collections for some past-due debts because of the devastating wildfires.

Why it matters: Court officials said in a statement that they recognize the effects the fires have had on countless residents.

“Temporarily suspending active collection efforts on past-due court debt is one small way the court can provide meaningful, timely relief for members of our community,” Presiding Judge Sergio Tapia II said in a statement.

Support for LAist comes from

Why now: The pause is retroactive to Jan. 9 — which is two days after the Eaton and Palisades fires sparked — and will last through March 8.

What it means: If you owe money and are past-due for juror sanctions or traffic, family law, criminal, dependency and civil matters, you don’t have to do anything about it at this point.

What's next: Collections will start back up once the pause is lifted on March 9.

Read on ... for resources for wildfire victims.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist