HOUSTON, TX – The City of Houston Police Department will be among more than 260 law enforcement jurisdictions across Texas, and 65 in the Gulf Coast region alone, that will be participating in the “2012 Great Texas Warrant Round-Up.”HPD and the Harris County Constables will join other regional participants in this statewide annual event, which officially begins Saturday, February 25, 2012, to look for individuals with outstanding warrants.

The City of Houston Municipal Courts Department, which for the 6th year is coordinating the efforts in this region, has thousands of active warrants it is seeking to clear. Municipal Courts officials are encouraging defendants to take advantage of the options available to settle outstanding warrants. No amnesty is being offered in conjunction with the Round-Up effort.

“This is a great opportunity to discuss your case with a judge and a prosecutor and learn about the many options available for case resolution before arrests begin February 25th,” said Presiding Judge Barbara E. Hartle.

Once the warrant period begins February 25th, HPD and other law enforcement agencies will aggressively target those persons on the warrant list and arrests can take place at any location, including the defendant’s home, school or workplace. Additionally, a special task force will focus solely on arresting those individuals whose parked vehicles have been documented multiple times at specific locations.

“The License Plate Recognition Program has been in pilot since March 2011 and has proven to be very successful in helping us locate scofflaws,” stated Judge Hartle. “With the assistance of law enforcement, we fully intend to use the entire scope of our resources, and we want to make everyone aware that ignoring your court matter is not an acceptable practice,” she added.

Notices are being mailed to all Houston Municipal Court defendants with active warrants. Citizens with warrants in jurisdictions other than the City of Houston should contact those jurisdictions for information about how to clear those warrants. A complete list of participating regional partners can be found at www.houstontx.gov/courts.

For more information about warrants or citations visit the website at www.houstontx.gov/courts or contact City’s Helpline at 3-1-1 or 713-837-0311 if outside the City of Houston.

2012 Great Warrant Round-Up FAQ’s

Why are you doing this?
To close cases for which all other means of resolution have been unsuccessful.

Why do this now?
Statewide cooperation with other entities provides broader public awareness. Tax refund season creates better opportunity for some defendants to have the ability to pay their fines.

How many warrants are outstanding?
This number is not constant and changes all the time. In the month of January, in the City of Houston alone there was an average of about 300,000 active warrants in the court’s system. Some defendants have multiple warrants.

How can I find out if I have warrants?
For Houston Municipal Court warrants, dial Houston’s Helpline at 3-1-1, visit the website at www.houstontx.gov/courts or visit any City of Houston municipal court location (see chart below). For information about warrants issued out of the Harris County Justice Courts, visit the Justice Court’s website at www.jp.hctx.net. For warrants issued out of surrounding municipal and justice courts, contact the Court in that particular jurisdiction for further information.

What are my options if I find out I do have warrants?
You may pay the fine and court costs, or post a bond and have your case(s) reset for a new court date. You may also seek legal advice from an attorney.

If I come to court to pay, will I be arrested?
No, citizens are encouraged to come in voluntarily to resolve cases during the Warrant Round-Up.

Will there be an amnesty offered to reduce the cost of any of the fines or fees?
Not at this time.

If I want to pay for my warrants, what are my payment options?
Payment options for warrants issued by the City of Houston Municipal Courts are as follows:

ONLINE – http://www.houstontx.gov/courts/OnlineTicketPayments.html
BY PHONE – Call 713.221.0288 (24 hour payment line)
BY MAIL – Municipal Courts, P.O. Box 4996, Houston, TX 77210-4996
WESTERN UNION (use code Ticket Texas)
IN PERSON – at any of the six court locations listed:

For payment options for warrants in other jurisdictions, contact the appropriate Court for that area.

What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, checks, money orders, American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

After I pay, how long will it take for the information to be removed from DPS records?
The Department of Public Safety will clear holds on driver’s licenses within 7 to 10 business days.

2012 Great Texas Warrant Round Up Regional Participant List

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