Can a traffic ticket turn into an arrest warrant?
Any county can turn a legal issue into a bench warrant at any time – even ten years later. Saying you did not know about the ticket or forgot about the ticket is not a real defense in the judge’s eyes, and they will likely charge you late fees or set other punishments. Fees can reach thousands of dollars or you may need to serve jail time.
Can a judge issue a warrant for your arrest?
Warrants for Traffic Tickets Explained After you’re issued a traffic ticket, you have two options: you can accept it and pay the fine, or deny it and fight the ticket in court. But if you do neither, a judge can issue a bench warrant for your arrest.
Can a traffic violation lead to a bench warrant?
Our traffic violation lawyers explain how traffic offenses can lead to warrants, and what you should do if there’s a bench warrant out for your arrest.
Is there Statute of limitations on arrest warrants?
The court can issue a warrant years after you were first ticketed. There is no statute of limitations or set date range by which the courts must issue an arrest warrant. Any county can turn a legal issue into a bench warrant at any time – even ten years later.
Where can I find a bench warrant for unpaid traffic tickets?
If you believe that a bench warrant exists for you – for example for unpaid traffic tickets – it’s in your best interest to find out about it now and deal with it. You can often track such information at the website for the court that issued the bench warrant. If you lack Internet access, call the courthouse clerk for information.
When do arrest warrants expire in a court?
The “bench” refers to the bench inside the courtroom where you need to appear to deal with the ticket. Arrest warrants never expire until you “do the time or pay the fine.”
Can a police officer arrest you on a bench warrant?
A bench warrant gives law enforcement the authority to arrest you. But when a traffic court issues a bench warrant, police generally aren’t going to immediately hunt you down just to arrest you on the warrant. Traffic warrants aren’t exactly a high priority for most law enforcement agencies.
What happens if you get a traffic ticket and you never go to court?
Generally, the unpaid ticket will stay on your record forever until you act on it. If you never show up in court to handle the ticket, a judge could issue a “bench warrant” for your arrest. The “bench” refers to the bench inside the courtroom where you need to appear to deal with the ticket.