Department Plans Warrant Roundup

The Wills Point Municipal Court, in conjunction with the police department, will have a warrant roundup beginning Friday, June 10. Defendants with outstanding citations have until 5 p.m. Friday to pay fines and court costs, or they will be arrested and not released until the amounts are paid in full.

"Our current collections have improved, but there are a lot of old warrants and uncollected fees and court costs that we are going to pursue," said Municipal Judge Mary Bardin. "The police department is paying close attention to the names on our outstanding warrants list, and Chief Johnson has assigned an officer to actively make arrests."

Bardin reported that there are warrants dating as far back as 2000, and approximately $500,000 in unpaid fines and court costs.

"Our efforts are going to extend beyond Wills Point, as well," Bardin said. "We’re going to make arrests in other communities in order to get these collected."

Bardin also explained that when defendants fail to appear, the cost only goes up.

"If a citation goes to warrant, there are additional fees and court costs that are added to the original fine," Bardin said. "It really is to the benefit of the defendant to come in and take care of the citation."

Bardin added that the court uses a collection agency to collect past due fines, and the agency adds an additional 30 percent to the amount due.

The court sends out "pre-warrant letters," and defendants typically have two or three weeks after that before a warrant is issued.

If anyone is unsure whether he or she have an unpaid ticket, or need more information, they can call the court at 903-873-4530.