Wrong Place, Wrong Time – That’s When Warrants Come Home to Roost
Parking tickets and other traffic violations may seem like they are no big deal. If you got a ticket that doesn’t require a court appearance, you have two choices: you can plead guilty and pay the fine or you can ignore it. Similarly, if you are facing charges that require a court hearing, such as driving while talking on a cell phone or DWI/DUI, you also have two choices: you can appear in court on your scheduled date, go before a judge and tell your story. Or, you can ignore it.
If you know you are likely to have your driver’s license suspended or fined a large sum that you can’t afford, it’s understandable if you opt for the latter. Rest assured, however, that you can’t hide forever. The charges will come back to bite you.
If you choose to ignore tickets, especially those that require a court appearance, a judge will likely issue a warrant for your arrest. This doesn’t necessarily mean the cops will come banging on your door. However, as was the case with a couple of women in Westville recently, you may get caught and hauled in on your warrants when you least expect it.
Consider the Westville traffic stop. Police pulled over a car and found cause to arrest the driver for possession of a designer drug known as “Molly.” A check on the two passengers in the car yielded the need for two more sets of handcuffs. The two female passengers had outstanding warrants and were quickly detained during the traffic stop.
One speeding ticket may not seem that serious. If you pay your fine and don’t into any more trouble, you can view it as an important lesson: slow down! However, when the tickets pile up or you ignore a court ordered appearance, all bets are off. You never know when your warrant for arrest will be enforced. And, generally speaking, there’s never a good time to be arrested.
Instead of ignoring tickets, contact a skilled defense lawyer who can fight to get your charges reduced or dismissed. If you are arrested on an outstanding warrant, exercise your right to call a lawyer immediately. [nl_link id=’272′]Contact John W. Tumelty[/nl_link] today for a review of your charges. He represents clients charged with a wide variety of criminal offenses throughout Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties in NJ.
