EDITORIAL: DMV, Justice Court pilot program makes eminent sense

Many taxpayers, through some combination of personal experience and intuition, consider the terms “customer service” and “government bureaucracy” to be mutually exclusive. But now a pilot program involving the Department of Motor Vehicles — really! — and Las Vegas Justice Court threatens to undermine that perception.

The initiative allows drivers doing business at the DMV’s West Flamingo branch to also pay off any outstanding traffic fines. Prior to the program, they would have been wasting their time at the DMV until they trekked downtown to Justice Court to take care of their fines.

“Many people don’t realize that an upaid traffic ticket results in an arrest warrant and driver’s license suspension,” said Sherri Parris, a court division administrator, in a statement. “They are caught by surprise at the DMV. Clearing the case at the DMV is ... a great convenience for the motorist.”

DMV spokesman Kevin Malone said as many as seven people a day are taking advantage of a Justice Court satellite window at the Flamingo DMV.

The measure runs through July 7 and applies only to tickets issued in unincorporated Clark County, which are adjudicated in Justice Court. Municipal Court handles citations written within the Las Vegas city limits.

The program makes eminent sense and — barring cost concerns — could easily be permanently implemented and expanded to other DMV offices. In addition, there’s no reason the city and Municipal Court couldn’t also participate.