Better Late Than Never to Municipal Court Week?

Let’s get this out of the way first: This story is a failure when it comes to timeliness.

This old news is publishing a week-plus after a Highland Park Town Council meeting, where Mayor Margo Goodwin proclaimed the previous week “Municipal Court Week.”

Let’s put this another way. Publication date: Nov. 17. Proclamation date: Nov. 9. Municipal Court Week dates: Nov. 1-5.

Goodwin’s got a better excuse for her tardiness than I do: The council had to postpone its Nov. 2 meeting for lack of a quorum.

Proclaiming after the fact was better than not at all, the mayor decided.

So, what’s the big deal?

Judge Albert D. Hammack explained that 60% of the people who have contact with the town of Highland Park do so through the municipal court. He and court staff aim to make those experiences as pleasant as possible, even for folks facing fines.

“That’s kind of the court we need to have,” he said. “One that’s safe and ultimately fair.”

So how do you think the court is doing? Let us know with a Letter to the Editor.

“You are not cruel about it,” Goodwin told the municipal court team. “You represent us well.”

In other action on Nov. 9, the council authorized the purchase of replacement equipment for the Highland Park Department of Public Safety:

  • Three Chevy Tahoe police patrol cruisers “which shall be blue,” Goodwin quipped — $176,472.40
  • Three Chevy Tahoe criminal investigation vehicles (unmarked cars) — $128,022.42
  • One 2022 Frazer built ambulance and associated equipment — $347,009.00
  • Two Zoll Z Series monitor/defibrillators — $85,450.73

William Taylor

William Taylor, editor of Park Cities People and Preston Hollow People, shares a name and a birthday with his dad and a love for community journalism with his colleagues at People Newspapers. He joined the staff in 2016 after more than 25 years working for daily newspapers in such places as Alexandria, Louisiana; Baton Rouge; McKinney; San Angelo; and Sherman, though not in anywhere near that order. A city manager once told him that “city government is the best government” because of its potential to improve the lives of its residents. William still enjoys covering municipal government and many other topics. Follow him on Twitter @Seminarydropout. He apologizes in advance to the Joneses for any angry Tweets that might slip out about the Dallas Cowboys during the NFL season. You also can reach him at william.taylor@peoplenewspapers.com. For the latest news, click here to sign up for our newsletter.

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