Thursday, February 13, 2014

What are Your Alternatives to Paying Old Traffic Tickets?

Like many of us, you may have received a traffic ticket and put it away, knowing you had a month or so to take care of it. Then your life got busy—or busier—and the ticket slipped your mind. Whether you agreed to appear in court to enter a plea and let that court date slip right by, or intended to pay the fine but forgot, you could find that your name now resides on the Houston outstanding warrant list. With the 2014 Great Texas Warrant Roundup coming up quickly, many of those whose names are on that warrant list could be shocked and dismayed to find themselves being arrested.

 

Each year, around the first part of March, over 300 Texas agencies band together in an effort to collect the fines for unpaid tickets and mark as many names off their outstanding warrant list as possible. While no formal date has yet been announced, it is likely that the last two weeks in February will kick off the amnesty, or grace period, then efforts to bring offenders to justice will begin in earnest during the month of March. You could be at work, at your home, in class, taking your children to school or running errands when you are arrested for an outstanding warrant. When you imagine the potential embarrassment of such a scene, it just makes sense to speak to a knowledgeable Houston traffic ticket lawyer.

 

Past Texas Warrant Roundups Considered a Success

In the Houston area alone, over 4,000 people were arrested on outstanding warrants during the 2013 Warrant Roundup period and over $2.5 million collected in unpaid fines. Obviously, these numbers are considered a success for the City of Houston, and Houston officials would like nothing better than for everyone on the outstanding warrant list to come down and pay their past tickets. Whether this is the best course of action for you and your future is another story. Primarily, you should remember that once the enforcement phase of the Warrant Roundup begins there will be little sympathy on the part of Houston law enforcement should you fail to take action regarding your warrant.

 

Consequences of Paying Past Tickets

Most all of the offenses in question are Class C misdemeanors and could be for something as innocuous as traveling a few miles above the speed limit, neglecting to have your insurance card in your glove box, or even forgetting to have your vehicle inspection done. Despite the nature of these offenses, the consequences of choosing to pay the tickets at this point can be far-reaching. Paying a ticket is equivalent to pleading guilty of the offense and receiving a conviction. That conviction will add points to your driving record—two points for a moving violation, three points for a moving violation resulting in an accident. Accruing more than six points within a three-year period can result in the following:

 

·         Surcharges you must pay yearly to the state of Texas, ranging from $100 to $1,000

·         An escalation in insurance rates

·         Suspension of your driver’s license

·         Loss of employment

 

As an example, when you pay a ticket for no proof of insurance, you will owe an automatic surcharge of $250 per year for the next three years; failure to pay this surcharge can result in a suspension of your driving privileges. Having a Houston Traffic Ticket attorney post a bond on your behalf is a much better way of handling the situation. Posting a bond means you are not convicted of the underlying tickets. You will receive a new court date at which you can fight those old tickets or your attorney can negotiate for a deferred adjudication or defensive driving course.

 

Traffic Ticket Convictions are Considered Criminal

Aside from the negative consequences stated above, remember that although traffic violations are generally misdemeanors, they are nonetheless considered criminal. This means that a conviction or convictions for traffic offenses can show up on a routine background check. A potential employer will be able to see your criminal record and could make an employment decision based on that record. So, before you pay those old tickets during the 2014 Texas Warrant Roundup, speak to an experienced Houston Traffic Ticket attorney and explore all your options. We can help you if you are in any of the following jurisdictions:

 

·         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


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