Judiciary: warrant arrests at Traffic Ticket Public Days held in changing room, not bathroom

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Judiciary of Jamaica has dismissed claims that drivers seized on outstanding warrants during the Traffic Ticket Public Days just held at the National Arena were briefly confined in a bathroom.

In a Tuesday statement, the judiciary said people who could not pay court-ordered fines on the spot were kept in a designated changing room while officials arranged transport or other follow-up steps. That room, it said, offered access to bathroom facilities so those waiting could meet personal needs while transport or other arrangements were organised.

Officials stressed that those briefly held were neither ordinary members of the public at the event nor people scooped up at random solely because of open warrants.

“They represented the relatively small number of individuals who, after appearing before the court, were unable to pay the fines imposed. In several instances, persons were afforded time to contact relatives or friends who could assist them with payment of the fines. Where payment could not be made, individuals awaited transportation by the police to the relevant police stations, in accordance with established legal procedures,” the judiciary said.

It also said the temporary holding space stayed clean and sanitary for the full run of the exercise.

“The facility was regularly cleaned, and every effort was made to ensure that persons were treated with dignity and respect while awaiting transportation or the completion of arrangements concerning their fines. Additionally, a medical team from the Ministry of Health and Wellness was stationed immediately beside the area to ensure that, should any medical need arise, prompt assessment and assistance were readily available,” the judiciary added.

Early figures show 10 people were taken into custody on Wednesday, July 8, after failing to pay fines, and six more were taken into custody under the same circumstances on Thursday, July 9. At least one person held on Wednesday reportedly came prepared to serve a jail term instead of settling the fine.

The judiciary said the Traffic Ticket Public Days were meant to give Jamaicans a practical, convenient way to clear pending traffic cases.

“Thousands of persons attended and were able to settle their cases without incident. The number of individuals who were ultimately taken into custody represented a very small fraction of the persons served during the exercise,” the judiciary added.

While staff are still entering and reconciling results from the exercise, preliminary numbers put collections at $97,454,200 in fines across the two days at the National Arena. Officials said the number of tickets disposed of and remaining operational tallies are still being closed out, and a fuller report will follow once verification and reconciliation are finished.