Harbor Justice Center Newport Beach — Attraction in Newport Beach

I'm not gonna lie coming from San Diego to take care of some legal matters had me in and out in under 90 minutes from window to judge to payment. Holy crap. I'm still a little annoyed they closed the Laguna Hills location where I was originally slated to go to, but for what it's worth this place does it better, I just wish I'd known about the closing. That's what I get for multiple continuances.

Parking at all court houses suck, not their fault, just the way it is. The walk up windows are genius, way to keep everything moving, flowing. The only downfall is you can not really hear the employees all that well. Personally I'm trying to get in and out and all those chairs waiting around for #'s like the DMV and other courthouses make a mess of things. I do feel bad for elderly or disabled.

Court was fast, courteous, respectful.

Payment was a bit of a joke. 1 window for attorney's, 5 windows for payment plans, but 1 person working. 5 windows for full payment and 1 person working. No organization, no line, just a bench and mob mentality. Very poor planning.

Their fee system is much easier to understand, but also higher than the way everyone used to do it. Tickets have fee's and the way they get you to pay more is to tack on unspecific tiered fees based on fee zones. A S Show to figure out, but has good and bad. I miss the old days of having an amount to pay and paying that amount.

I doubt I got lucky because I went to my local courthouse at 7:30am a full 2 hours prior to OC's and was greeted with a 4 hour wait so literally 75% faster is my guess. I actually drove there in rush hour and back faster.

Security is average, nothing crazy, just metal detectors and pat downs, ok with mechanical mods (electronic...

If you are a man never ever go on calendar under Judge Stephanie George to take care of late fines or basically anything DUI related. Literally walk out and let the police bring you in under warrant rather than let her decide your fate (In custody you get to see a reasonable Judge) This lady (Judge George) becomes hostile with emotions to where she starts picking fights with everyone in the court room; court reporter bailiff etc. She is clearly incapable of being impartial or ruling in the best interest of the people. On the day I came in there were four people on the exact same DUI outstanding fines charge. Two (men) with recent jobs, who had gotten their life together after a struggle, and wished to pay their fines. There were also two (female) drug addicts with a screwed up story who had no willingness or desire to pay their fines. They were also clearly high on meth. Ultimately Judge George went off on a tangent taking both males in to custody and released the two females on drugs with no money to pay their fines and no good excuse. I even had a letter stating I suffered a work injury that left me homeless 3 years and had just gotten a job/place to live. The letter also stated I am on the autism spectrum. This was the exact opposite of justice. The lady is straight evil! 3 days in the jail loop left me with nightmares and I can no longer sleep. My job and home gone. Please get rid of this judge before she ruins more lives leaving more good citizens dependent on the...

Wow. What an absolute honor it was to visit the Justice Center. Truly, this is where justice lives, breathes, and thrives. You can just feel the justice radiating from the beige walls and flickering fluorescent lights the moment you walk in.

The staff? Oh, pure rays of sunshine. You can tell they wake up every morning thrilled to be here, definitely not counting down the hours until lunch break. Each interaction was a masterclass in warmth, charm, and that unmistakable please don’t talk to me energy we’ve all come to love.

And the process! Let me tell you — flawless. I had the privilege of paying $25 in exact cash for someone to graciously glance at my front bumper for about half a second. Worth every penny. In fact, it was so justly done, I regret not handing him $200 on the spot. Then, in a stroke of genius, I got to pay another $25 — again, exact cash — to actually pay the fine. Double the cash, double the justice.

Instructions? Directions? Ha! Who needs those? The mystery is half the fun. It’s like an escape room, but instead of escaping, you’re trapped in bureaucratic purgatory until your wallet is $50 lighter.

In conclusion: Five stars. Where else can you experience the magic of paying twice for one problem? The Justice Center offers not only justice, but cardio (walking around looking for answers), math practice (counting out exact bills), and character development (trying not to scream). Truly, a one-stop shop for...