BELLEVUE -- Several people received erroneous notices over the weekend saying their licenses would soon be suspended because they had not paid outstanding fines with Bellevue District Court.

The reason for the error? County budget cuts, court administrator Doug Mincher said yesterday.

The court, like all district courts in the county, regularly gleans its records to track those who haven't paid fines or never appeared on traffic infractions, Mincher said. A batch of violators' records is then sent to the state Department of Licensing in Olympia, which then issues a notice of impending driver's license suspension if fines are not paid, Mincher said.

But that has always depended on court clerks checking the records manually, he said.

``We can no longer afford to have clerks sift through these things anymore,'' he said.

The court recently decided to check violators by computer, and the system apparently has some glitches, resulting in several erroneous warnings, Mincher said.

The county court system recently had $3 million slashed out of its 2002 budget, Mincher said.

Bellevue District Court had 21½ clerk positions and three managers 18 months ago, Mincher said. The court is now down to 17 clerks and one manager, he said.

Some 3,400 people received notices recently saying old fines had not been paid.

But several people have complained to the court that their fines were indeed paid -- some 15 years ago.

``Despite the hoopla this has created, most of these are violations,'' Mincher said.

David Halberson, 75, of Bellevue, said he was ``shocked'' to get letters on Saturday from the DOL saying he had never paid fines on three violations dating back to the late 1980s.

Now, Halberson said he has $207 in new fines and his license will be suspended March 23 if he does not pay them.

Halberson said he paid the fines in cash years ago.

Mincher said Halberson appeared in court on all three violations, two for driving with expired vehicle tabs, and had them mitigated. But records show Halberson ``never did anything'' after that, Mincher said.

Mincher spent yesterday going over records and said any problems with the new automated system will be corrected.

Anyone who may have received a notice in error is welcome to contact the court, Mincher said.

Eastside Journal

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2002