What to do for an FTA warrant?
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What to do for an FTA warrant?
I was arrested for disorderly conduct and was ordered to do community service and attend 2 alcohol counseling classes. I completed the community service and 1 day of the classes but I missed the 2nd class. I had no money to pay bills and had to move out of the state. The agency that does the classes contacted the court. There was a second court date set but I never received notice because I didn’t provide the court with my new address. I now have a warrant for failure to appear. I would like to send the judge a letter asking to complete the class in my state and quash the warrant. How do I word this?
Asked on May 19, 2011 under Criminal Law, Arizona
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
You just can't "mail it in" as it were. Your personal appearance will be required. In fact, jailtime can be given in such a case. You will need to appear in the state that issued the warrant. Since you have not yet been arrested, turning yourself in as opposed to appearing before the judge courtesy of the jail bus will be of help. You need to retain an attorney in the area where all of this occurred. They'll have local contacts with the court and will best be able to negotiate on your behalf.
One thing is for sure, do not ignore this situation. If you are stopped for even something as minor as jaywalking you will be taken into custody. Even if the state in question doesn't want to take the time and expense to extradite you for this, you can be arrested again in the future and have to go through the hassle and humiliation each and every time. Additionally, this will all turn up in any employment background check that may be run on you.
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