Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Making Fine Payments More Manageable and Fair, Tukwila Court Administrator Chosen for Award

Tukwila Municipal Court Administrator LaTricia (Trish) Kinlow has been named 2020 Court Manager of the Year by the Washington State Court Management Council for her work in establishing a unique, county-wide program to help people pay traffic fines in manageable amounts without paying excess fees or losing their driver licenses.

The Court Manager of the Year Award is presented to a manager or administrator who demonstrates leadership of regional or statewide impact beyond what is expected of an individual court manager.

“A suspended driver’s license creates barriers to employment, housing, healthcare, and many other important obligations…for many, resulting in an inescapable cycle of poverty,” said Tukwila Municipal Court Judge Kimberly Walden, who nominated Kinlow for the award. “Without a statewide uniform cashiering system, a defendant with legal financial obligations [fines] in several different courts must address each individual court with varied payment policies and are left without manageable or affordable options. Trish Kinlow created a program that allows a convenient and low-cost way for people to reinstate their driver’s licenses — the Unified Payment (UP) Program.”

Kinlow worked with other jurisdictions in King County and now every municipal and district court in the county has agreed to actively participate in the system, which requires as little as $25 per month to keep current across all participating courts, with no additional interest or collection fees, and for the courts to release holds on reinstatement of driver licenses. Kinlow reaches out to customers with little access to technology by setting up booths in low-income communities, and is advocating for the program to expand to other counties.

Kinlow “understands the needs and challenges that people face, especially those in low-income and underserved communities,” Judge Walden wrote in her nomination letter. “This program has exceeded all expectations, and until a statewide solution is created, it will continue to grow, and truly help people who need it most. Trish’s commitment to accessible justice and service — especially to the most marginalized of communities — is a testament to her outstanding leadership, vision, and compassion.”

The Court Management Council is a statewide forum in which court officials work to enhance the administration of courts. The Court Manager of the Year Award was established in 1987 to honor outstanding court managers, and is awarded each year to an individual whose leadership has been transformative on a regional or statewide basis and who has mobilized and unified others to take action for improvement of the state judicial system.