Sunday, January 15, 2012

The True Cost of Failing to Appear

If you believe that failing to appear on a traffic ticket may be a relatively harmless matter, you could be very unpleasantly surprised to find yourself under the cloud of a Houston arrest warrant. Of course it is much better for you if you actually know about the arrest warrant than if you are totally unaware of it. Although Houston police officers generally have much more serious issues to contend with than tracking down those who have neglected to pay a traffic ticket, they do have the option to find you wherever you may be (home, school, work) and arrest you immediately. Further, during Houston’s annual warrant roundup the police are actively looking for those who have neglected to pay their fines or show up in court as promised. To have police officers come into a person’s place of work and take them away in handcuffs would be a devastating experience for most all people.

When You’ve Been Charged with Failure to Appear
Suppose you received a ticket for a minor traffic infraction, put it into a drawer intending to pay the ticket or appear in court and contest it, then simply forgot about it. In our ever-increasingly busy lives, this is actually a fairly common scenario. Next thing you know there has been a Failure to Appear charge levied against you and a City of Houston arrest warrant issued. Although it is certainly reasonable that you would panic at this point and send in the money immediately, living in fear until the check cleared, you should be aware of the consequences of doing so. Remember that a Failure to Appear charge is a totally separate and new charge against you in addition to the original traffic charges.

Should you send in your money for the past due ticket, you must be aware that you have effectively pled “guilty” to the offense, and now have a conviction on your record—even though traffic issues seem minor, they are generally considered criminal cases. That conviction adds points to your driving record, increases your insurance rates, and can even be responsible for jeopardizing your current job or preventing you from obtaining a future job. Should you receive too many points on your driving record you could even face having your driver’s license suspended—a serious occurrence for most Americans.

Alternatives to Paying Your Traffic Tickets
Should you be under threat of a City of Houston arrest warrant, you do have options. It is in your best interests to contact a local Houston traffic attorney who can offer you options such as posting as Houston traffic bond. Such a bond can be posted in person, or alternatively through your attorney or even a bondsman. Retaining an experienced attorney may give you the option of having the warrant quashed, or even possibly having the charges dismissed. Once your Harris County traffic bond has been posted, you are no longer under threat of arrest, and can discuss what direction you should take with your attorney. You may feel that the original traffic citations were unjust, in which case you can explore the possibility of having your attorney fight those charges. In short, you should never take a Failure to Appear charge or a Houston arrest warrant lightly. Take action immediately and get reputable legal help.

Author: Sullo & Sullo Attorneys

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