City of Edinburg unveils traveling courtroom
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Court was in session Friday right next to the colorful children's wing at the Destin Sekula Memorial Library.
Edinburg Municipal Court Judge Hector Bustos wasn't wearing a robe, or at a bench as part of the court’s outreach docket — a “traveling courtroom” where the public can take care of any outstanding tickets and warrants.
“Ultimately, a robe and the structure of a court makes people very nervous,” Bustos said.
Among those who attended the mobile court was Janet Garza. She had four tickets, while her husband — Omar Gutierrez — had four warrants.
Busto was able to significantly lower Garza’s fees, and dismissed Gutierrez’s entirely.
“From $700, it went to zero,” Gutierrez said. “So it's a very big help."
Bustos says the goal of the event is to take some of the fear out of court.
“It's sort of like mediation,” Bustos said. “It's all confident here… we're not gonna arrest you."
Bustos said there are plans to hold more “traveling courtrooms” events in the future.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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