Have you forgotten to pay a court ordered fine or maybe a court date just simply slipped your mind? In today’s fast paced society, its an easy mistake to make sometimes! If that happens to be the case, the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office is offering folks a second chance on qualifying situations!
Captain Pevehouse of the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office announced today on Facebook that December 3rd, 2018 will set off Misdemeanor Warrant Amnesty Week in Sebastian County. The amnesty week will run until December 7th, 2018.
The initiative will give citizens who have active misdemeanor warrants an opportunity to resolve their cases without facing jail time.
The following warrant types qualify for the program:
- Failure to Pay court-ordered fines or a delinquent payment plan
- Failure to answer traffic summons
- Failure to Appear in court on a qualifying offense and are in need of a new court date
If your warrant meets these criteria, you will need to go to the Court Offices in Fort Smith or Greenwood and speak with the court. The program requires that you appear in person, phone calls will not work. A $20 amnesty fee will be required to resolve the warrant. Fines will still be applicable though payment options are available. On Failure to Appear warrants, the charge will be placed back on docket for arraignment once the warrant is recalled.
Captain Pevehouse reports that over 20,000 active warrants exist in Sebastian County alone, and around 70 percent of said warrants are of a misdemeanor classification.
If you have a warrant that meets these qualifications, now is a great time to set things straight! If you have an active warrant and encounter law enforcement, you can be arrested and taken to jail as a result.