The Johnson County sheriff’s office is offering a Christ mas amnesty program that gives people with outstanding misdemeanor warrants the opportunity to pay part of the warrant amount and avoid spending the holidays in jail.
“It’s better to spend the holidays with your families than locked up with strangers,” Sheriff Jimmy Dorney said Friday.
Under the program, people with outstanding misdemeanor warrants must surrender to the sheriff’s office or county jail pay 10 percent of what theyowe on the warrant and get a new court date to appear after the holidays.
He said that if someone with warrant is caught or stopped on the street, the individual will have to go through the normal process of going to jail and posting another bond.
He said the program, which is in place all year, is emphasized during the holiday season, when people need money for Christmas shopping and like to spend time with their families.
“We do not like to make life tougher on people than it already is,” he said.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 8 on 12/08/2012