Find Yourself in a Houston Texas Warrant Search?
The eighth annual Great Texas Warrant Roundup is fast approaching; while an official “kickoff” date has yet to be announced, based on past years, Phase One, (amnesty or grace period) will likely begin in early February with Phase Two (enforcement) likely beginning in early March and continuing throughout the month. The amnesty period is your chance to take care of your outstanding warrants, whether by paying the underlying tickets or allowing a Houston Warrant Roundup Lawyer to post a bond on your behalf and work out an agreement for the unpaid tickets. Once the grace period has expired, Houston law enforcement will likely exhibit little compassion as they “roundup” all offenders with an outstanding warrant.
What is the Potential for Arrest if My Name is on the Houston Outstanding Warrant List?
You might be at work and find yourself being arrested in front of co-workers and your boss. You could be at home with your family, in school, out with your children or at a routine traffic stop when you are handcuffed and placed in a police vehicle with flashing lights. As you can imagine, such an arrest will be embarrassing, not to mention inconvenient. Officers in the Houston area have the capability of scanning license plates with a special device which instantly tells them whether the registered owner of the vehicle is on the outstanding warrant list. This means that your ability to simply ignore the Warrant Roundup and “ride it out,” is not the best course of action.
Why have a Texas / Houston Warrant Roundup?
While the theory is to allow all those with outstanding tickets to “wipe the slate clean,” there is significant financial incentive for the City of Houston as well. Over two and a half million dollars was collected during the 2012 Roundup, with a similar number in 2013. Unfortunately, there were also over 4,000 arrests during the 2012 Houston Warrant Roundup. You must be aware of certain issues which could result should you panic and rush down to the courthouse to pay your past ticket(s).
Consequences of Paying Past Traffic Violations
Although most of the violations in question will be Class C misdemeanors, they are nonetheless criminal offenses. When you pay a ticket you are, in effect, pleading guilty, and the resulting conviction will show up on your criminal record as well as on your driving record. Your criminal record can be seen by any potential employer as well as potential landlords. Points on your driving record can lead to a variety of negative results including: yearly surcharges required by the State of Texas, sometimes as high as $1,000 per year for three years or more, an increase in insurance premiums, suspension of your driver’s license and even loss of employment. The Texas DMV allows for an accrual of only six points within a three-year period prior to racking up serious penalties.
How a Houston Warrant Roundup Lawyer Can Help
It is only natural that you may be feeling frightened and helpless when facing the upcoming Houston Warrant Roundup. Speaking to an experienced Houston traffic ticket lawyer can alleviate many of those emotions. A qualified Houston Warrant Roundup Lawyer can immediately post a bond on your behalf, which quashes the warrant and takes away any threat of arrest. Once your mind is clear of the fear of being arrested, that lawyer can also work to have your original ticket dismissed, request deferred adjudication or work out a plan which allows you to take a Texas defensive driving class in lieu of paying your tickets and accruing points. The ultimate goal of any decent Houston Warrant Roundup Lawyer would be to keep these old tickets from damaging your future, and to determine your best course of action. No matter the level of your offense, a competent Houston Warrant Roundup Lawyer will work tirelessly on your behalf to protect your rights. A good Houston Warrant Roundup Lawyer should possess the level of legal experience necessary to ensure a more positive outcome for each and every client. If you have an outstanding warrant in any of the jurisdictions listed below, you could benefit greatly from contacting a Houston Warrant Roundup Lawyer immediately:
· 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
