Busted: 5 Myths About Arrest Warrants

2017 Great Texas Warrant Roundup

The 2017 Great Texas Warrant Round Up officially begins on Friday, Feb. 10. Over 300 law enforcement agencies from across the state are participating in this 11th annual statewide event. They will be concentrating their efforts from Feb. 25 through March 5 to arrest individuals who have outstanding warrants.

You can avoid being arrested by paying off your warrants from now through Friday, Feb 24.

For more information or to pay your warrants, visit the Bryan Municipal Court page, or call (979) 209-5400.

Have you ever had a traffic ticket that you just forgot to pay? It happens. As busy as people are these days, sometimes things just slip through the cracks. But unfortunately that honest mistake could lead to a warrant for your arrest. Nobody wants that.

As we approach the time of year for the Texas Warrant Roundup, a massive statewide effort to collect debt owed on outstanding warrants, we thought we’d set the record straight on five popular myths about warrants.

Remember, it’s your responsibility to know if you have a warrant, and this information might just keep you from getting an unpleasant surprise.

For more information, visit the Bryan Municipal Court page, or call (979) 209-5400.

Myth 1: I got a warrant in a different city, so it doesn’t apply here in Bryan.

That would be nice for those people who have unpaid parking tickets in Dallas or Houston, but unfortunately, it’s just not true. Warrants that are issued by any municipality in the state of Texas are valid throughout the state. So if you didn’t pay that littering ticket you got up in Amarillo, a warrant may be following you all the way back home to Bryan.

Myth 2: Nobody will come find me if I have a warrant.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Bryan City Marshals. One of the main tasks of the City Marshals is to do just that — find people who have outstanding warrants and bring them in. The City Marshals do lots of research and use a variety of information and databases to determine the present location of individuals with outstanding warrants. It’s what they do, and they’re really good at it. But they would much rather not have to arrest someone on a warrant. That’s not an enjoyable experience for anyone.

Myth 3: Warrants expire after one year.

No one seems to know where this idea came from, but it’s just plain false. Warrants never expire. So, remember that citation that you got for not mowing your yard back in 1996 when you lived in El Paso. Guess what? If you didn’t pay it, there’s a good chance you’ve got a warrant, even all these years later.

Myth 4: It was just a traffic citation, I can’t get arrested.

Oh, boy. This is one that has been misunderstood for a long time. True, you can’t get arrested for getting a traffic citation. But when you don’t follow the instructions on that traffic citation — paying it, or showing up in court on an appropriate date — then a warrant can be issued for your arrest. Warrants are issued on Class C Misdemeanors all the time.

Myth 5: I shouldn’t worry about paying warrants, especially since I have lots of them and I can’t afford to pay them all.

Well, the main reason is that if you don’t do anything about them, you could be arrested and go to jail. But that’s not what anyone wants. Not you, and not the Judge and City Marshals either. The staff at Bryan Municipal Court really want to help you in these circumstances, and there are different options that they can suggest to assist you in these situations. In many cases, the Judge will approve a payment plan, allowing you to take care of your fines on a schedule, while still being able to take care of your other financial responsibilities.

For more information, visit the Bryan Municipal Court page, or call (979) 209-5400.

Share This: