Well just as regular as the rodeo in this state, and on February 25, 2012, it’s time again for the coordinated Texas Warrant Roundup! For those of you who take care of all your business, good for you- the rest of you should really look up the info on your traffic tickets. And clear up that old bond forfeiture and check for county warrants too. Get squared up with your child support payments, or your driver license surcharges. Because the roundup is coming for you. I foresee a lot of scurrying, and a lot of laying low. Just remember that those guys sometimes come EARLY in the morning before last night has fully worn off! And whatever you do, don’t be drawing any any attention to yourself out in public!
In a nutshell, the Texas Warrant Roundup is a concentrated effort, with cooperation from entities statewide, to share information with each other whether they be a large city or a tiny town. The warrant roundup will continue for a few weeks after the start date, and you could be arrested at your home, your job, or in your car! Here’s an announcement from the City of Lakeway, just west of Austin, describing the event, and how they would prefer you handle your affairs so they don’t have to drive you back into town where the jail is. Many of the participating towns and courts have installed incentive plans (besides just staying out of jail) like reduced fees for coming in early, or extended payment plans to make it easy. Just so they get their money, you know. Jail has a way of making people get up and take action.
As of this writing, there are 276 entities who are signed up to participate, spanning from one end of Texas to the other. Most of them are what you would expect like municipal courts, Justices of the Peace and some Police Departments, cities, etc. But also hidden in there are a few big hitters like the entire municipal court system of Houston (thousands of warrants alone), a county court (Midland), and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Here’s a complete list of the towns/courts/police departments participating, as updated on the Austin Municipal Court website today.
If you DO find that you have a warrant, please contact us to see how we can help clear it up before the big roundup. We are more than happy to double-check, and answer whatever questions you may have about the entire process. The biggest difference will be having the ability to deal with the warrant on your own terms (mostly) rather than being arrested in front of your co-workers or kids. Give us a call at 512 472-6565, we’re happy to help.