Traffic Tickets and Class C Misdemeanors Can Lead to Arrest Warrants

A traffic ticket can be an annoyance that most don’t want to deal with. However, a traffic citation can add up to significant legal problems if it’s not taken care of on time. If you fail to take care of a traffic ticket, you may be issued an arrest warrant depending on the circumstances:

• An alias warrant is a type of warrant that is issued when no plea has been entered on the case, or if you have failed to appear either in person or by mail. With this type of warrant, we can post an attorney surety bond that will lift the warrant and get you a new court date. In addition to a warrant,you may receive an additional citation for failure to appear (sometimes called a violate promise to appear). Finally, some courts will place an omni hold on your license, which is a fee accessed to notify the Texas Department of Public Safety of the arrest warrant.If you have omni fees, an additional $30 fee per citation needs to be paid to the Court in addition to the surety appearance bond to lift the arrest warrant.
• A capias warrant is issued after a judgment is rendered, a fine assessed, and you have been given an extension of time to pay the fine. When you fail to pay your fine or complete driving school, the Court will usually schedule a show cause hearing. If you fail to appear at the show cause hearing or appear and cannot pay the balance on your citation, the Court may issue a capias warrant. With this type of warrant, your only options are to pay the fine (either in full or through a payment plan with the Court) or do jail time. We usually cannot do anything to assist you if a capias warrant has been issued.

Besides being subject to arrest, an outstanding traffic warrant in Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, or one of the surrounding cities may prohibit you from renewing your driver’s license. If you have been contacted or received notice about outstanding tickets or traffic warrants in Fort Worth, it is time to take action before you are arrested. In addition, many cities have started to conduct “warrant sweeps,” where they will come to you in a roundup, arrest you and force you to take action on your old tickets. We can help you with a traffic warrant issued in Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, or one of the surrounding cities by posting an attorney surety bond.

In addition to warrants issued for traffic citations, we can lift alias warrants issued for any Class C misdemeanor, such as warrants issued for simple assault, public intoxication, theft under $100, minor in possession and code violations. Class C misdemeanors are matters pending in a municipal court such as the City of Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, etc., or cases pending in a justice of the peace court.

Why an Attorney Is Better Than a Bondsman

In most cases, hiring an attorney is cheaper than hiring a bondsman. A bondsman will just get you out of jail, whereas an attorney will both get you out of jail and represent you on the underlying citation. If you hire us to post a bond to get you out of jail, we will represent you on your class C misdemeanor in addition to posting a bond to get you out of jail.

Setting Aside a Plea After Jail

If you are arrested on a Class C warrant and plead no-contest or guilty in jail, we can get the plea set aside; however, we have to request that the plea be set aside no later than ten (10) days after the plea is made. If you were arrested on a Class C misdemeanor and made a plea of no contest or guilty while in jail, you need to contact us ASAP to discuss your options. If you wait too long, you will be stuck with the conviction which will be reported to your record.

Texas Warrant Roundup

Many cities will conduct periodic warrant roundups throughout the year. When a roundup occurs, anyone with an outstanding Class C warrant who comes into contact with a law enforcement officer is supposed to be arrested and brought before a magistrate. Many courts will also send officers to arrest offenders at home or work during the roundup.

In addition to periodic roundups, many North Texas cities participating in the “Great Texas Warrant Roundup” in March of each year. The Texas Warrant Roundup is a state-wide effort that focuses on clearing outstanding Class C misdemeanor warrants. Most Class C warrants are from traffic-related offenses; however, all Class C misdemeanors, such as code violations, assault charges, and possession type charges are included. During the roundup, anyone who encounters a law enforcement officer in a jurisdiction that participates in the roundup is supposed to get arrested. More than 250 law enforcement agencies across Texas participate in the Texas Warrant Roundup, including Fort Worth, Arlington, Hurst, Haltom City, Burleson, Keller, Dallas, Irving, Grand Prairie, Colleyville, Azle, Argyle, Carrolton, Cleburne, Corinth, Denton, Flower Mound, Forest Hills, Pantego and River Oaks.

To avoid being arrested, you must clear up any outstanding warrant prior to the roundup. If you have an outstanding alias warrant in North Texas, contact us for a free consultation on how we can help.