I got a ticket and missed my court date! Freaking out a little!

[Ladyhay]

I am hoping someone here will know what happens/what I should do. I got a speeding ticket May 21 in Decatur Co. 70 in a 55 I think. My little boy had to pee. I have no tickets citations etc on my record. I sat down to pay bills today and guess what- court was June 16th!! I quickly logged in and paid it online but it is the weekend and I am freaking out. Do they suspend your license? Warrant out for arrest? The worst part? I am going to get my MP shield on Monday and am worried it will mess up my background check!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TrickyNicky]

Probably nothing to bad if you paid already. I had one that sat for months due to me forgetting about it. I went and paid at the court house and never received any guff about it one way or the other. You may have a warrant out depending on how fast they move in that county. I guess I never did because I completed a 4473 after court date but before I'd paid and have filled one out not long ago and never had a problem.

Hopefully someone will have solid info, that has just been my experience.

[TripleDigitRide]

Look outside...

[vontar]

The judge could issue a Bench Warrant.  I don't know how it may effect anything. 

 

It will probably only be a warrant on record and GA probably won't go though with  extradition over it.

 

After the payment clears, you will need to make sure they don't keep a active warrant out for you.

 

However if still on your record, if you get stopped in TN it may come up on a road side background check, which then I would bet the officer would be less likely to give you a warning.

Edited June 20, 2014 by vontar

[HvBikeWlTravel]

I would guess you are quite safe due to the massive backlog of paperwork in the court system and the low level offense is not likely to be a priority with anyone in power.

[Ladyhay]

[quote name="vontar" post="1160949" timestamp="1403307036"]The judge could issue a Bench Warrant. I don't know how it may effect anything. It will probably only be a warrant on record and GA probably won't go though with extradition over it. After the payment clears, you will need to make sure they don't keep a active warrant out for you. However if still on your record, if you get stopped in TN it may come up on a road side background check, which then I would bet the officer would be less likely to give you a warning.[/quote] Thanks for the info. It was in Tennesee, Decatur Co, which is just a few counties over from me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ladyhay]

On a good note the officer that pulled me over was super nice about my gun. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peejman]

Yes, you probably have a warrant now.

Same thing happened to a friend except he misread the date on the ticket. Lucky for him, another friend was also in court that day and witnessed the judge issue the warrant for failure to appear. He called my friend who immediately called the judge's office to plead his case. He did eventually get out of the warrant based on the illegible date on the ticket, but still had to go to court and do traffic school.

I'd suggest you call the Decatur Sheriffs office and/or the court house and find out what the story is.

[Patton]

Was this issued by a deputy or by a city officer? You need to call the court house and just explain and make sure you tell them that you did pay it. In all likely hood it will be forgiven. In my city people that did not pay or show for court we could only file the paperwork to revoke a license. The sessions court judge could issue a bench warrant when the offender refused to show when tickets were issued by a deputy.

[DaveTN]

Where I was from they sent a letter with a new court date before they issued a warrant for FTA. Do they do that here?

[Ladyhay]

I called Decatur Co. Very nice they have me a number to the HWY patrol in Jackson. They said they didn't think there was enough time to do the paperwork for a warrant. Just to call Monday. I hope he is right!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TMF]

Court date? I never showed up for the court date after paying a ticket. Once it's paid that should be the end of it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sam1]

Court date? I never showed up for the court date after paying a ticket. Once it's paid that should be the end of it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Think she was saying she logged in to pay it today but everyone was already gone home for the weekend.

[Ladyhay]

[quote name="Sam1" post="1160983" timestamp="1403311322"]Think she was saying she logged in to pay it today but everyone was already gone home for the weekend.[/quote] That's right. Court and the due date for the ticket was June 16. Today is June 20th. I paid it around 530/6 pm. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ladyhay]

[quote name="Ladyhay" post="1160986" timestamp="1403311410"]That's right. Court and the due date for the ticket was June 16. Today is June 20th. I paid it around 530/6 pm. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote] Just to note it has only been 30 days. Crimeny! They can't issue a warrant for a ticket paid within 30 days can they? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TMF]

[quote name="Sam1" post="1160983" timestamp="1403311322"]Think she was saying she logged in to pay it today but everyone was already gone home for the weekend.[/quote] Ah. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bersaguy]

I got a ticket one time for doing 73 in 45 speed zone at 3AM on the way to a fishing Tournament LEO was hid in a car lot. one of the oldest tricks ever. Could have taken me to jail but lucky he was a bass angler also and saw the boat behind my truck. Wrote me a ticket for excessive speed with no numbers so he would be able to turn me lose. Got home that night and read the back of the ticket the next morning with coffee what the fine was for the offense. $55.00.  Then right at the bottle of the ticket it said,

"No Checks accepted." I thought I am not driving back 140 miles to pay this ticket. I wrote a check to City Court Clerks Office the next day with a copy of the ticket. 3 days later my check cleared the bank with the clerks stamp on the back of the check. Yea, they don't accept checks alright. With the government, big city , small town, County, state, Federal , money talks and bull crap walks. They got what they wanted. The money...............................jmho

[bersaguy]

Just to note it has only been 30 days. Crimeny! They can't issue a warrant for a ticket paid within 30 days can they? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If they take the money from your account there won't be anything other than a speeding ticket on your record and your insurance may go up some but since it was your first one ever I don't think that will even happen.........jmho    Don't let it wreck your weekend worrying about something this trivial................again............jmho

[~48_South~]

Ive never known or even heard of anyone having a warrant issued for not appearing in court or paying the fine for a minor speeding ticket before said date and I have unfortunately known several people who have done this from various counties including myself when I was in my late teens. Now the bad news is your license is likely on its way to being suspended when I did this I paid probably around a week after my court date I was told I was just in time etc a couple years later I finally get pulled over and the officer informs me that my license was suspended I believe he told me what the problem was and told me to go see the clerk and resolve it though he still wrote me the citation for the license so I had to then go appear in court and prove it was a mistake in the paperwork. So I had to take the day off work blah blah blah and ultimately everything ended well. So even if they say you are good to go you may want to schedule a reminder to check again in about a month or so just in case. If they simply say you're to late then you will have to pay a reinstatement fee and go back to the dmv.

[Ugly]

I got a $15 parking ticket on my empty landscape trailer while I was parked on the street at my brothers house in PA, get back to FL and forgot all about it. Well don't ya know, a few months later I got a letter with a warrant for my arrest and there was a process server looking for me. Cost me $150 and I am forever thankful PA saved me from causing harm to anyone with my trailer.

[Chucktshoes]

[quote name="DaveTN" post="1160978" timestamp="1403310495"]Where I was from they sent a letter with a new court date before they issued a warrant for FTA. Do they do that here?[/quote] From lessons learned in my irresponsible youth, I can for a fact say that Shelby County does not. Failure to pay before court date and FTA for a traffic citation automatically equals a bench warrant and a license suspension. If you get picked up on Friday afternoon or later you will also get to spend the entire weekend in jail. Edited June 21, 2014 by Chucktshoes

[Murgatroy]

Ive never known or even heard of anyone having a warrant issued for not appearing in court or paying the fine for a minor speeding ticket before said date and I have unfortunately known several people who have done this from various counties including myself when I was in my late teens. Now the bad news is your license is likely on its way to being suspended when I did this I paid probably around a week after my court date I was told I was just in time etc a couple years later I finally get pulled over and the officer informs me that my license was suspended I believe he told me what the problem was and told me to go see the clerk and resolve it though he still wrote me the citation for the license so I had to then go appear in court and prove it was a mistake in the paperwork. So I had to take the day off work blah blah blah and ultimately everything ended well. So even if they say you are good to go you may want to schedule a reminder to check again in about a month or so just in case. If they simply say you're to late then you will have to pay a reinstatement fee and go back to the dmv.

Had my license suspended for not paying a speeding ticket. 55 in a 45 in good old Englewood.

 

Never had a warrant issued. Had my license suspended. I haven't EVER heard of a warrant for a speeding ticket, but I have heard of quite a bit of license suspensions.

[Ladyhay]

Ugh. Guess here is nothing to do but wait. I appreciate everyone's insight!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[molonlabetn]

I did the same thing back in college, got a ticket in Kentucky and forgot about it completely... Months later rummaging I happened upon the ticket and called the court clerk. They told me I had a warrant out and had luckily not been pulled over in the meantime. They let me pay the ticket and it went away.

All they care about is the money.

[Ladyhay]

[quote name="molonlabetn" post="1161032" timestamp="1403318308"]I did the same thing back in college, got a ticket in Kentucky and forgot about it completely... Months later rummaging I happened upon the ticket and called the court clerk. They told me I had a warrant out and had luckily not been pulled over in the meantime. They let me pay the ticket and it went away. All they care about is the money.[/quote] Well that is good at least. I will pay what I owe to make them/it go away. (I have paid the original amount- don't mind to pay the extra). Although I think 30 days (how long it's been) IS a little cray cray. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited June 21, 2014 by Ladyhay