Do you know that the police can arrest you for unpaid traffic tickets? Many Texas motorists mistakenly believe that they will merely incur a more substantial fine if they fail to pay a traffic ticket on time. They don’t realize that once the situation could ultimately lead to them being taken into police custody. The Great Texas Warrant Roundup might help you avoid such problems.
If you have unpaid traffic tickets, there may be a warrant out for your arrest. U.S. Marshals and local police departments combine efforts to “round up” any individual who has a warrant for arrest. If it’s possible that you have forgotten about some unpaid traffic tickets, you might want to use online resources or call your local law enforcement agency to check if a warrant has been issued in your name.
What can you do if you’re unable to pay your fines in full?
You might be able to avoid arrest, simply by paying any outstanding fines you have from traffic tickets. It’s not uncommon for such fines to increase when they have remained unpaid, which might make satisfying the debt in a lump sum a bit challenging. In such cases, it might be possible to have a payment plan approved. The key issue is to pay off the fines or, at least, get a judge to approve a payment plan before law enforcement officers show up at your door to execute a warrant.
Don’t be one of the 100,000 who police arrest every year
During the Great Texas Warrant Roundup, the police take as many as 100,000 people into custody for outstanding payments that have turned into warrants on a traffic ticket. There may be several things you can do to avoid arrest, including, perhaps, having a warrant removed.
Many people do not realize that police officers can serve an arrest warrant anywhere. This means that, if you’re at school or work or out to eat with friends, police officers may interrupt your time there when they show up during the Great Texas Warrant Roundup to make an arrest.
What to do if an arrest takes place
If you wind up in a county jail during the Great Texas Warrant Roundup, try to remain calm and do not lose hope. As in all cases of arrest, you have a right to legal support in an effort to try to mitigate your circumstances as much as possible.
An arrest for unpaid traffic tickets can have a ripple effect of negative consequences in your life, especially if there is a conviction added to your record. It’s always best to try to resolve such issues before the annual Roundup occurs, but if you’re already past that point, you might want to explore your defense options.