Find Yourself in a Houston Texas Warrant Search?
The 2015 Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup is right around the corner. Going into its ninth year, the 2015 Roundup is set to start on March 7, 2015. Larger Houston municipal courts will send out notifications to those with outstanding warrants who may be affected by the upcoming Warrant Roundup. Smaller municipalities across the state may not have the financial resources to send out notifications, so it is important that you do your own checking regarding whether or not you currently have an outstanding warrant. The first two to three weeks of the Roundup are considered the “grace” period, in that all those with warrants have an opportunity to take care of the warrant and the underlying traffic citations.
What is the 2015 Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup?
More than 300 law enforcement agencies across the state of Texas will be out in full force during the month-long Texas Warrant Roundup. Police officers will be apprehending, or “rounding up,” all Texas citizens who have overlooked their traffic citations for too long. The Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup is akin to “America’s Most Wanted,” –on a much smaller and less serious scale. Any misdemeanor traffic, parking or city ordinance violations which have been neglected can result in an arrest warrant. Perhaps you received a moving violation or have let your parking tickets accumulate without taking the necessary steps to pay the tickets or appear in court. If so, you could have a warrant for your arrest. With such a warrant you could be arrested at any time, no matter where you are. This means you could be arrested while at work, at home, at school or while checking out at the grocery store. It is much more likely you would be “caught” while stopped at a routine traffic stop, but in reality, you could be arrested while enjoying dinner with your family.
More About the 2015 Great Texas Warrant Roundup
The Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup continues to add agencies each and every year. In 2012, more than 270 agencies participated, while in 2014, more than 300 agencies participated across the state. It is expected even more will join in the Roundup in 2015. Thousands of offenders will be arrested across the state during the Roundup while thousands more will pay their fines and fees and move on with their lives. During the past three Roundups, the city of Houston arrested between 4,000 and 5,000 people, and collected more than $2.5 million from thousands of others. Because many people have moved, it is virtually impossible to ensure notification of all those with outstanding warrants. Many larger jurisdictions have made the process much easier with electronic license plate recognition. The device can scan hundreds of license plates a minute, “flagging” those with an outstanding warrant. If you are aware of an outstanding warrant, now is definitely the time to take care of your traffic violations.
Should You Pay Your Outstanding Ticket?
While the easiest course of action would seem to be to pay the past due tickets—as well as the warrant fees—in fact, this could lead to extremely negative consequences. When you pay your ticket(s), you are admitting guilt, and will, therefore, be found “guilty,” of the offense. This means that two or three points will be added on to your driving record. Accrual of six points on your driving record can lead to a loss of your driving privileges as well as a huge increase in your automobile insurance—or cancellation. Speaking to an experienced Houston traffic ticket lawyer from Sullo & Sullo, LLP, can make a decided difference in your future. Your Sullo & Sullo attorney can post a bond on your behalf. This should immediately remove any threat of arrest, giving you some “breathing room,” to decide how to proceed. Your Sullo & Sullo Houston warrant roundup lawyer can then address the underlying traffic citations. Don’t wait—the 2015 Great Houston, Texas Warrant Roundup will be here before you know it.
