In a status hearing on April 10, Joel Flores was given one more chance to pay fines from a February 2017 gross misdemeanor conviction for conspiracy to carry a concealed firearm. At a prior hearing, after serving a month in jail for not paying the fines, Flores was ordered to pay the fines, totaling $1,178 by April 6, 2018. Flores waited until the morning of his status hearing to pay $900 of the fines, stating that he waited because he was trying to get the entire amount saved up to pay it all at once and he thought they were due that day.
“That’s procrastination of the ultimate kind, when you’re coming back to court that same day to possibly go back to jail and you make a payment, that’s more than just waiting until the last day to write a book report, ” said Judge Michael Montero.
Public Defender Maureen Mcquillan asked that Flores be given more time to pay the remaining $278 of his fines, at least until his next pay day. Judge Michael Montero granted the extra time, stating if Flores does not have the fines paid by April 30, he would go to jail with the bail amount totaling the $278 still owed in fines. “Get the rest of that paid, young man,” said Montero.
