Are you looking over your shoulder because you have an outstanding misdemeanor warrant in Phoenix? If so, you may have missed a chance to clear the slate. Earlier this month, Phoenix officials launched Phase I of its “New Opportunity Warrant Clear Up Program.” The program was designed to clear up as many of the 110,000 outstanding misdemeanor warrants in Phoenix as possible. Those outstanding warrants, for offenses such as shoplifting, domestic violence and, of course, traffic violations, subject the offender to immediate arrest.
Court officials and police set up tents on N. 27th Avenue, housing a records processing center, a review area for a city prosecutor and judge, and an area devoted to negotiating payment of fines. It has been estimated that over 1,500 warrants were resolved as a result of the program. A corollary benefit is that the city won’t have to expend the time and money to serve the warrants and process the alleged violators. Phoenix currently pays about $188 to Maricopa County for each person who is booked into jail.
But don’t take the existence of the program as a signal that Phoenix has gone soft on misdemeanor crime. On the heels of the expiration of Phase I of the program, and the commencement of Phase II, police hit various neighborhoods and, in a matter of days, arrested over 160 people who were still the subject of outstanding warrants.
If you believe you have an outstanding warrant in Phoenix, whether you reside in Arizona or out of state, don’t run the risk that you’ll be arrested and jailed without notice. Call today for an appointment with a qualified Phoenix Warrant Lawyer.