February 25, 2015 - While no firm dates have been announced, Phase One of the 2015 Great Texas Warrant Roundup is expected to begin in early February. Phase One generally offers amnesty to all those in the Houston area who have outstanding warrants, primarily those associated with traffic citations. Phase Two of the 2015 Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup is enforcement—all those who fail to take care of their outstanding warrants and underlying traffic citations during Phase One could face an arrest during the enforcement phase. If you have an arrest warrant with your name on it, you could conceivably be arrested at any time, at any place. The enforcement phase is slated to begin on March 07, 2015.
This means you might be having a nice dinner with your family when the police knock on the door, you could be at work with your co-workers and boss watching as you are handcuffed, or you could be any number of other places and end up in a potentially embarrassing situation. A unique task force is utilized each year during the Harris County Warrant Roundup. These task force members focus solely on tracking down offenders with outstanding warrants, using the license recognition program.
Will I Receive Notification?
Although notices are mailed to defendants with active warrants from Houston Municipal courts, smaller municipal courts in the Houston area may simply not have the resources necessary to send out the necessary notifications. The Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup is, therefore, handled somewhat differently across the state. There are other issues which may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; as an example, Odessa offered to waive the $50 warrant fee during the 2013 Great Texas Warrant Roundup while most other cities and towns did not. One Texas city posted names and photographs of all those on the outstanding warrant list in the local newspaper.
This is a bit extreme—and there was a loud outcry because of it—however each jurisdiction has a certain amount of freedom regarding how they will handle outstanding warrants. You may need to call the agency where you received your original ticket (and where your warrant is located) in order to obtain additional information and determine whether there are different rules which may apply during the Roundup. Smaller Houston courts such as Jersey Village, Sugarland, Stafford, Missouri City, Pasadena, the City of South Hampton and Baytown may or may not notify those with outstanding warrants so don’t assume that because you have not received a notice you have no warrant.
Jurisdictions Handled by Sullo & Sullo, LLP
If your ticket and subsequent warrant was received from any of the following jurisdictions, a Houston traffic ticket lawyer from the firm of Sullo & Sullo can help you.
· 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
There is a very definite financial incentive for cities to take part in the 2015 Great Texas Warrant Roundup. In 2012, the City of Houston collected more than $2.5 million in fines and fees during the Roundup, and arrested more than 4,500 offenders. There were fewer arrests in 2013, however the amount of fines remained right around $2.5 million. The city of Baytown collected nearly half a million dollars in fines and fees, placing them in the top 10% of the 2013 Great Texas Warrant Roundup.
What to Do if Your Name is On the Outstanding Warrant List
If you are aware you have an outstanding warrant, or remember you failed to pay a traffic ticket or appear in court as required so think you might have an outstanding warrant, it could be advantageous to speak to a Sullo & Sullo Houston traffic bond lawyer. Your experienced Sullo & Sullo attorney can post a bond on your behalf, which should remove the threat of arrest. Once the bond is posted, you can discuss your original ticket with your Houston warrant roundup lawyer, determining the best way to proceed. Depending on your individual circumstances, your Sullo & Sullo attorney may be able to negotiate a deferred adjudication, a dismissal, or a defensive driving course in order to avoid points on your driving record. Don’t pay your ticket without speaking to a knowledgeable Sullo & Sullo Houston traffic ticket lawyer.