By Associated Press
Mobile, AL – It's either pay up or go to jail. Mobile officials say they will cancel arrest warrants for citizens who pay fines and court costs in full by July 31st.
Barbara Drummond, a spokeswoman for Mobile Mayor Sam Jones, calls the campaign ''a get-out-of-jail'' card for one month.
Officials estimate that going back to 1993, about 10-thousand people owe the city about 10 (m) million dollars.
Jones, who announced the amnesty program at a news conference Tuesday, said he became aware of the extent of the problem after reviewing data that measures the performance of city agencies.
Officials said they plan to post on the city's Web site, www-dot-cityofmobile-dot-org, the name of anybody who owes money. The city will also publish the names and the amount each person owes in the Mobile Press-Register on Friday.
Some of the money collected will be shared with the Mobile County District Attorney's office as compensation for sending collection letters to the last known address of each person owing money.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)