Milwaukee judges convene in church, where warrants — but not fines — are forgiven

Judge Valarie Hill held court as usual on Wednesday afternoon — but in a church, not a courthouse.

In temporary courtrooms, Hill and fellow Milwaukee Municipal Court Judge Phillip Chavez waived warrants and dropped driver’s license suspensions for about 250 people at Greater New Birth Church, located in the city’s low-income Amani neighborhood.

“Smile — it’s going to be good!” Hill said to the first 40 people as they filed into the courtroom. “Y’all are going to be all right.”

Her reassurances weren't empty: at "Warrant Withdrawal Wednesday," the judges promised to arrest no one. In two adjacent courtrooms, Chavez, Hill and their clerks kept a steady pace, conferring quickly and quietly with each defendant regarding their fines or citations. 

The special community session was part of a pilot project the court began last November. Several hundred people lined up at the municipal court downtown for the first series of three events held that month, in which they were assigned to a judge, relieved of their warrants and guided through payment or service options. 

This time, local employers, social service groups and even representatives from the Department of Motor Vehicles had tables set up outside the courtrooms. This added "one-stop shop" was an added twist to Warrant Withdrawal Wednesday, Hill said.

After exiting the courtroom, people were guided to these other resources by volunteers and court employees. In the foyer, they could work on a résumé or start a new job search, as part of moving forward with their lives.

It's a way to get people who've found warrants or suspensions a barrier to employment back on track, the judges said.

The court worked with Greater New Birth Church to provide the service in a location more accessible for people who can't make it downtown. And holding the program in a church helps engage defendants who might be less comfortable in a courthouse setting, Hill said.

Wednesday's event was also restricted to 250 preregistered spots, keeping lines and crowds to a minimum.

Judges say 50% of the participants in November's events have been compliant so far. 

Before starting the afternoon, the judges answered questions and laid out the options: defendants could pay $20 monthly or every three months. If neither of those payment plans seemed feasible, defendants could confer with the nonprofit JusticePoint, which would make recommendations for community service in lieu of fines and treatment for drug abuse or mental health. A judge would have to sign off on the alternatives.

"The fines aren't going to be wiped out," Hill said. "We're asking people to be individually responsible."

Betty Speed of the Milwaukee Urban League told those seated in the room of a surplus of jobs. There is great demand for people with construction experience, she said, to work on building the new Milwaukee Bucks arena, for example.

Chanda Rice, who learned about the event from Facebook, walked out of the courtroom with a sense of relief.

"My best outcome is getting a job," she said of attending the event.

Those who missed the Wednesday event can always head to the court during designated walk-in hours, Chavez said.