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Wanted: residents with 1.7 million warrants
The offenses are worth more than $340 million
By RENEE C. LEE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Aug. 9, 2009, 9:06AM
Nearly 2 million warrants worth more than $340 million are outstanding in the Houston area, and in most cases they're not for hard-core criminals.
They're for average residents who haven't settled minor traffic and ordinance citations.
The class C misdemeanor offenses, punishable by fines only, can be resolved by showing up at a municipal or justice of the peace court to answer the charge. But when people fail to comply with the law, judges are forced to issue warrants for their arrest.
The figures, based on information provided to the Houston Chronicle from a select number of courts in Houston and five surrounding counties, document only a snapshot of the widespread problem, which overwhelms some courts and law enforcement agencies. Judges and police officials say managing thousands of case files and tracking down scofflaws is a never-ending task. As soon as warrants are cleared, more roll in.
Houston is equipped to handle the large volume of warrants generated through its courts. But many small courts and police agencies in the suburbs struggle with limited resources and less sophisticated computer systems.
Houston alone has more than 1.2 million outstanding class C misdemeanor warrants. On average, most people have one to three active warrants. Many alleged offenders have multiple warrants because they receive a warrant for each violation on the citation, plus they get an additional warrant for failure to appear in court.
The offenses are worth more than $340 million
By RENEE C. LEE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Aug. 9, 2009, 9:06AM
Nearly 2 million warrants worth more than $340 million are outstanding in the Houston area, and in most cases they're not for hard-core criminals.
They're for average residents who haven't settled minor traffic and ordinance citations.
The class C misdemeanor offenses, punishable by fines only, can be resolved by showing up at a municipal or justice of the peace court to answer the charge. But when people fail to comply with the law, judges are forced to issue warrants for their arrest.
The figures, based on information provided to the Houston Chronicle from a select number of courts in Houston and five surrounding counties, document only a snapshot of the widespread problem, which overwhelms some courts and law enforcement agencies. Judges and police officials say managing thousands of case files and tracking down scofflaws is a never-ending task. As soon as warrants are cleared, more roll in.
Houston is equipped to handle the large volume of warrants generated through its courts. But many small courts and police agencies in the suburbs struggle with limited resources and less sophisticated computer systems.
Houston alone has more than 1.2 million outstanding class C misdemeanor warrants. On average, most people have one to three active warrants. Many alleged offenders have multiple warrants because they receive a warrant for each violation on the citation, plus they get an additional warrant for failure to appear in court.
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