February 11, 2015 - What is the 2015 Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup?
If you are aware you have any unresolved traffic offense cases, you may want to get them settled soon as the Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup of 2015 is just around the corner. More than 300 agencies across the state will be taking part in the Roundup, now entering its ninth year. Law enforcement agencies strongly encourage all those with outstanding warrants to voluntarily resolve them during the Roundup. Of course all these agencies have a financial motivation to “encourage” those with outstanding warrants to come forward. The city of Houston typically collects between $2.5 and $3 million during the Roundup, and will arrest between 3,000 and 5,000 of those who don’t take care of their warrants and underlying tickets.
Officials also warn that while the concerted sweep efforts to cross names off the warrant list may end in early March, this does not mean that individuals with delinquent cases and warrants are not still subject to arrest. The city of Houston—as well as other large cities—also has technology on its side. During the Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup an electronic license plate recognition device is used. This device can read hundreds of license plates per minute, flagging those with outstanding warrants. Prior to the enforcement phase of the 2015 Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup, an amnesty period will be in force, allowing those with outstanding warrants to come forward and take care of their warrants. During the last Roundup Barbara E. Hartle, director and presiding judge noted “We do this program simultaneously with other jurisdictions to bring about greater public awareness which will hopefully encourage someone to resolve their case or cases before they are arrested.”
Typically two to three weeks of grace period will be allowed, probably in February. Before that time many Houston municipalities will send out notifications to those with outstanding warrants. Don’t count on receiving a notification, however, as smaller municipalities may not have the financial resources to send out notifications. In other cases, people may have moved, making it difficult for a notification to reach them. More than 300 agencies across Texas are expected to participate in this year’s Roundup.
How Will the 2015 Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup Affect You?
Perhaps you are aware you have an outstanding warrant, or maybe you truly are unaware. Either way, Houston police will likely have no sympathy for you as they snap handcuffs on and lead you out of your place of employment, your home, your school, or any other place they can locate you. You may be one of the thousands of people who received a traffic citation. You fully intended to take care of the citation, either by paying the fine or by appearing in court, but your life got busy and you totally forgot about the citation. Forgetting to pay your fine or appear in court can not only land you on the arrest warrant list, but can also garner you an additional charge of Failure to Appear. At this point not only are you subject to an embarrassing arrest, you also owe a warrant charge, as well as potential surcharges tacked on by the state of Texas. These surcharges can be as much as $100 to $1,000 annually for a minimum of three years.
Considering all Your Options Prior to Paying Your Outstanding Tickets
Although the city of Houston makes it exceptionally easy to simply pay your tickets and move on, this may not be the best course of action. As soon as you drop the check in the mail, you have effectively pled guilty to the original offense, and will receive a conviction. This conviction will go on your criminal record—even though your traffic offense was likely a misdemeanor—and will add points to your driving record.
The number of points can vary, probably two to three points for a moving violation or traffic accident. This may not sound like a lot, but when you accrue only six points within a 12-month period of time, you could end up losing your license for a period of time. Insurance companies regularly check driving records, and will adjust your rates accordingly when points are added to your record. Your rates may become prohibitively expensive, or your insurance company may drop you altogether. As you can see, paying your tickets may not be the best course of action during the Roundup.
Working with a Sullo & Sullo Attorney to Post a Bond and Help You with Your Tickets
A better way may be to contact a Houston traffic ticket lawyer at Sullo & Sullo, and have your attorney post a bond on your behalf. You are no longer subject to arrest once your bond is posted, and your original ticket will be placed back on the docket. At this point, your Houston warrant roundup lawyer will discuss your options with you. The goal will be to prevent any points from being added to your driving record as well as to avoid other negative repercussions from your ticket. Now is the time for decisive action rather than simply opening your checkbook out of fear or anxiety. If you received your ticket in any of the following jurisdictions, a Houston traffic bond lawyer from Sullo & Sullo can help you during the Roundup or any other time to take care of your outstanding warrant and underlying ticket(s).
· Houston Municipal Court
· Jersey Village Municipal Court
· Sugarland Municipal Court
· Stafford Municipal Court
· Missouri City Municipal Court
· Pasadena Municipal Court
· City of South Houston Municipal Court
· Baytown Municipal Court
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Place 1, Judge Gorczynski
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Place 2, Judge Patronella
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3, Place 1, Judge Parrott
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4, Place 1, Judge Adams
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4, Place 2, Judge Lawrence
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Place 1, Judge Ridgway
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Place 2, Judge Williams
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 7, Place 2, Judge Burney
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 8, Place 1, Judge Williamson
· Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 8, Place 2, Judge Ditta