If you have any inkling that you might have a bench warrant floating out there for unpaid traffic tickets, you should find out about it now to avoid the potential embarrassment of being arrested at work or home. Most of us can't even fathom that we could actually be arrested and required to post bond for failure to pay traffic tickets, but in reality, it can happen.
Suppose you have a vague recollection that you received a traffic ticket months or even years ago. Possibly you were in college, or in the middle of a move, starting a new job or getting married, and flat forgot to take care of it. Well, you haven't heard anything from them, so you assume all is well and they filed your traffic ticket in File 13 Not so! The government never forgets--you were likely issued an order to appear in court regarding your ticket, and either disregarded it or never received it. Soon after your no-show, a bench warrant could have been issued for your arrest.
Now in truth, you may not be even vaguely aware that there is an arrest warrant hanging out there for something as minor as an unpaid traffic ticket, but don't be complacent. Not taking care of this now can have far-reaching implications and consequences. You could be arrested, taken to jail, be required to post bond, go before a judge, get hit with all sorts of court fines, and have a blemish on your criminal record which could prohibit you from obtaining a job you really want down the road. If you have so much as the slightest idea that you could have a warrant for unpaid parking tickets you should either hire an experienced criminal attorney and let him handle the details or you should get busy taking care of it yourself.
What Do I Do?
You must immediately contact the county courthouse or the sheriff's department in the county you received the tickets from and ask if there are any outstanding warrants for you. You will need to provide your name, social security number and driver's license number. Keep in mind that there is a chance that, once they run your information, they may send a sheriff to your home to arrest you, so if you are asked for a physical address, politely decline and either hire an attorney, or go to the courthouse yourself to handle the warrant.
If you get a helpful county worker, ask if your warrant is a bond warrant, or no-bond warrant. If you have a bond warrant you may be able to simply go to the courthouse and pay your fine. No-bond warrants are generally reserved for violent crimes, so a traffic ticket likely does not qualify. Ask the court clerk how you need to take care of the warrant, and they will tell you how much your bond is, and have you come in and pay it. Once you have paid your fine, and have the receipt to prove it, go to the courthouse and turn yourself in. This is an unpleasant experience, but will probably result in lower fines and less jail time. Better still, hire an attorney, and have him call the court and have your warrant quashed. While an attorney may cost a bit, the results will be well-worth it.
