by Blake Moren, CTCN Community Correspondent
 For those living in Marlow struggling with outstanding court fines, Marlow is offering limited amnesty.
 On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the Marlow city council approved this warrant program. City attorney Amanda Mullins said that anyone with outstanding municipal fines during a specific time period can pay at a reduced rate. Marlow is planning on reducing the fines by 50%.
 Mullins said, “We have a lot of outstanding warrants. So, our hope is that by offering a decrease in the amount owed it will encourage individuals to come in and take care of their warrant. A lot of these individuals are not necessarily Marlow residents, so it is a little bit difficult for us to get them to come in.”
 This amnesty period will start on Feb. 1 and end on March 31. City clerk Amber Hall said that among the first steps is to send notices for those who need to pay the City of Marlow as soon as possible.
 This new law says that people who meet certain conditions could have their fines reduced to their income level through a cost adjustment hearing.
 Mullins said, “So, what this also does is encourage those individuals, rather than come to us and have to go through a cost hearing. Which frankly they have to provide us under the law some rather sensitive information that they may not want to give over to us as it goes through any federal, state, tribal benefits they may receive, any income, what are their debts, what property do they have. It is a formal cost hearing so a lot of people may not want to do that.”
 Marlow Mayor Jeff Prater expressed concerns that this might encourage people to not pay their fines in a timely manner, but Mullins said this is unlikely, “There is not a requirement that the council would approve it again in the future. I don’t think there will be a legal precedent but maybe a hope in their mind and wait to see. But the problem with that is they’re risking being picked up on a warrant.”
 Most of the fines are for traffic violations.
 Marlow’s chief of police Ronnie Smith said that arresting out-of-town people or getting them to respond to any warrants is difficult. “They are non-extraditable also,” Smith said, “We can’t get them back, yeah we can get the people here (in town) but if they are six counties away, it’s not cost effective to go get them.”
 Anyone wishing to respond should contact the City of Marlow at 119 South 2nd Street, or call 580-658-5401 for more information.