NATCHEZ &8212; Close to $1 million is still owed in fines in Adams County Justice Court, Judge Charles Vess estimates.

But Vess added that both Justice Court judges and the county&8217;s new collection agency are doing their best to make a dent in that number.

&8220;These are fines that go partly to the county and partly to pay for state programs, so (not paying them) effects a lot of people,&8221; Vess said. &8220;And the county needs its part of that money.&8221;

The county hired the Kennard Group in 2003 to help collect such fines but terminated that contract late last year, saying the company owed the county money it had collected.

&8220;They owe us, I&8217;d say, about $4,600,&8221; County Administrator Charles Brown said. Though supervisors said the county hasn&8217;t yet filed suit against Kennard for that money, Brown said that to get it paid, &8220;we&8217;ll probably have to take action.&8221;

Kennard representatives could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Justice Court&8217;s latest figures show the county&8217;s new collections company, Receivable Solutions, collecting nearly $59,800 for that court in the last seven months.

During that time, Justice Court judges Vess and Mary Lee Toles have been using a two-pronged approach to help collect even more.

&8220;We&8217;re holding show cause hearings at which some pay their fines and others set up payment plans,&8221; Vess said. &8220;And some are sent contempt of court notices, along with a notice from Receivable Solutions saying &8216;This is how much you owe.&8217;&8221;

That seems to be helping, Vess said, noting that he has been able to collect an average of $2,500 a month in that way.

Toles could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

The problem of past-due fines is one courts across the state struggle with.

The State Auditor&8217;s Office last took an in-depth look at the problem in 1996,

conducted an audit of justice courts around the state that found that more than $60 million in fines was owed statewide to those courts.

And even when people die, move elsewhere or owe fines for years &8212; in Adams County Justice Court, some back to the mid-1980s &8212; they cannot remove those fines from the books under state law.

But, Vess said, a combination of efforts by judges and Receivable Solutions is making a difference.

&8220;We&8217;ve made a concerned effort to collect past-due fines,&8221; Vess said.