IONIA, Mich. — Kim Hartman, the Ionia woman battling cancer who was arrested for failure to make two $25 payments on a traffic ticket in January, has had all charges dropped and all extra fees and penalties waived by the county’s District Court.
Hartman was diagnosed with stomach cancer last spring.
Despite her favorable ruling, Judge Raymond Voet told Hartman that she should have communicated her health problems and her misunderstanding of the payment pay to the courts earlier. Hartman had paid $100 towards her ticket in October, assuming that would cover four months’ worth of costs. The Ionia County payment plan requires a minimum monthly payment unless otherwise arranged. No such arrangement had been made.
An overdue notice had been sent to Hartman in December stating that a bench warrant would be issued if payments weren’t made within 14 days.
Hartman tells FOX 17 that she is looking forward to paying off the ticket and getting back to focusing on her health. She says a Hastings man tracked her down in the phone book and sent her a $200 check to help pay the ticket off.
