Every March, law enforcement officials from around Texas participate in the annual Statewide Warrant Roundup. The roundup focuses on finding and arresting those with outstanding warrants and collecting the millions of dollars in unpaid fines. Though the roundup usually takes place in the spring, others occur in various counties throughout the year. This past August, marshals from Dallas and the surrounding communities conducted another roundup, going after the $99 million in uncollected fines from over 130,000 individuals.
As the annual roundup is only weeks away, it is important to take care of traffic citations and warrants before the police find you.
Alias and Capias Warrants
There are two common types of warrants issued in traffic cases. An alias warrant is what the court will issue when a person fails to respond or show up for a hearing on the traffic citation. For those with an alias warrant out for their arrest, there is still an opportunity to appear in court. An attorney can help post your bond and give you a chance to fight the charges.
A capias warrant, on the other hand, is issued when you do not comply with the orders of the court. For this type of warrant, there are basically only two options - you can pay the fine or go to jail.
Working With an Attorney
Unfortunately, many people tend to ignore the citation and hope it will go away on its own. The reality is that a warrant can and will be issued if you fail to take care of the ticket, even for minor offenses and small fines. Depending on the type of warrant, you may have an opportunity to appear in court and fight the charges or pay the fine without the embarrassment of an arrest.
If you are facing any sort of traffic violation, it is important to pay careful attention to court dates and contact an experienced attorney in your area for help. While a traffic ticket may seem like an inconvenience, ignoring the ticket can only lead to bigger problems later on.
