February 25th, 2011
Warrant roundup slated March 5

SUBMITTED REPORT

City of San Marcos police and city marshal’s office will join more than 230 law enforcement agencies across Texas for a warrant roundup beginning March 5 for people wanted for failure to comply with court orders and failure to appear at court to address charges filed against them.

Defendants with outstanding warrants for traffic violations, city ordinance violations and other citations filed at the San Marcos Municipal Court of Record are urged to contact the court immediately to avoid arrest at home, work or school.

The Municipal Court customer service window is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Wednesdays until 8 p.m. Contact the court at 512.393.8190 for more information. 24 hour payment options are available online here.

“Now is the time to take care of cases with the court,” municipal court administrator Susie Garcia said.  “Otherwise defendants face hundreds of dollars of additional fees, depending on the number of cases not in compliance.”

Postcards will be sent to thousands of defendants in the coming weeks encouraging them to contact the appropriate court to avoid arrest and possibly lose their driver’s license.

After March 4, the San Marcos Municipal Court of Record will review its open cases. Individuals with open cases face arrest and denial of renewal of their Texas driver’s licenses.

These actions may add up to $80 in additional fees to each affected case, Garcia said.

The San Marcos Municipal Court of Record will hire a collections company this spring for all unaddressed open cases and cases in default.  To avoid additional collection fees, defendants are urged to immediately come into compliance with court orders and appearance requirements. Collection fees will increase the amounts owed by 30%.

The Municipal Court web site has posted a list of people with cases currently in warrant status and a list of people with outstanding cases soon to be placed in warrant status in San Marcos.

“Avoid the embarrassment of a trip to jail from work, your home or school, address delinquent cases in the San Marcos Municipal Court before March 5, 2011.” said Rusty Grice, Deputy Marshal with the San Marcos Marshal’s office.

Defendants with charges pending in the San Marcos Municipal Court may come to the court during operational hours to pay fines or post bond to schedule a court appearance. The Municipal Court accepts cash, checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, Visa, Master Card, and Discover. The court is located on the second floor of the Municipal Building, at 630 E. Hopkins, San Marcos.

Mailed payments should include driver’s license number and case or ticket number to ensure proper credit. Do not send cash through the mail. Payments may be mailed to Municipal Court, City of San Marcos, 630 E. Hopkins, San Marcos, Texas 78666.