I think I have an outstanding sppeding ticket from DPS, but I'm not sure. How can I go about finding out if I have a warrant out for my arrest? Of course, I can go in with a wad of cash and pay off the ticket and the failure to appear, but I'd like to know if there is a more discreet way of going about it.
Come on, now. No one know the answer to this? I thought there would be loopholes galore listed from you guys. I need an answer too as I'm in the same situation as FT. Isn't there such a thing as amnesty?
Sorry I don't have any advise but a related issue; my wife got a speeding ticket in Po'dunk driving back from Austin... TWO years ago. They have never sent anything in the mail regarding the ticket even though she has called. She asked a county clerk here and they said that there are no statute of limitations or speedy trial issues. They can send a notice saying appear tomorrow. They can get away with it because they are a small town. Sucky a$$ speed traps.
Just call them and tell them you are calling on behalf of a friend who thinks he may have an outstanding ticket and ask them if there is a discrete way for him to find out. Different departments react to outstanding tickets in different ways. My son-in-law had one for an expired inspection sticker and they went to the trouble of sending him threatening letters (I believe it was the Austin police). My brother-in-law received a ticket in Iowa and has never been contacted. I suspect if he ever drives through there again and is stopped, it will caus ehim some difficulties.
How can you not know if you have an outstanding ticket? When you get a ticket, you have to do something about it. If you got a ticket and never took care of it, then it's outstanding. If it's been a long while since you got the ticket, and you've missed your court date, there is likely a FTA (failure to appear) warrant out for your arrest. Not from DPS, but from the municipality you got the ticket in.
A friend was supposed to take care of it but has since been transferred. If a warrant is out on an FTA and I get stopped anywhere in Tx, I will be taken in. It happened to me in a small town on the way to SA one time...and I had paid for that damn ticket as well...stupid city hadn't cleared me. What a crock of crap!
I have an outstanding ticket in Houston thats approx 2 years old. I recd a call about 2 months ago from a "Collection Agency" that wanted me to send them $255.00 via Money order. I didnt do it although I thought it was a bit weird. When I asked them where I could pay it they told me on sawyer, I believe it was 401 Sawyer or something to that effect. When I move back down I am going to go pay it although i was hoping for one of those "amnesty periods"
FT, call up the prosecutor's office in the city you got the ticket in and see what the status is on your ticket and what you can do to take care of it. Seriously. I'm 99% certain your friend never took care of it, and it's better to be safe than sorry.
