There are more than 300,000 outstanding Class C warrants in Fort Worth. The city’s municipal court will embark on a new month-long campaign to cut that number drastically.
Class C warrants include traffic and code enforcement citations; some of those outstanding go back years.
Instead of sweeping arrests and citations, the court has a plan to go into the community with warrant forgiveness to clear the books.
“For years the state has sponsored what's called a ‘Warrant Roundup,’” Fort Worth Municipal Court Chief Judge Danny Rodgers said. “That is really not a fit for Fort Worth anymore. So, we came up with the idea of the warrant forgiveness.”
During the month of February, the court will make it easier for people with those outstanding warrants to clear them up.
“We are going to allow people to come see us and we're not going to arrest anybody. We're not going to arrest people who voluntarily come to the courthouse [or the] mobile locations,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers said the mobile locations will make it easier for residents to take care of their outstanding warrants.
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“In the next few weeks, we’re going to be in locations in each of the council districts for three hours at a time for people to come out and talk to us. So, we are taking the court out into the community,” Rodgers said.
Court officials said judges can work with those who show up and there are perks for coming forward.
“Our judges are empowered under the law to waive warrants, to freeze, to waive collection costs and they are also in power to set up community service for someone [and] to set up payment plans for people to work within their budgets,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers wants to be clear that they cannot offer forgiveness for felony or federal warrants.
Fort Worth Library locations will provide activities for families including library card registration, story times and sing-alongs.
• Tuesday, Feb. 6, 1-4 p.m., Birchman Baptist Church, 9100 N. Normandale
• Wednesday, Feb. 7, 9 a.m.- noon, COOL Library, 5060 Ave. G
• Thursday, Feb. 8, 1- 4 p.m., East Regional Library, 6301 Bridge St.
• Tuesday, Feb. 13, 1-4 p.m., Seminary South Library, 501 E. Bolt St.
• Wednesday, Feb. 14, 1-4 p.m., BOLD Library, 1801 North S. Freeway
• Thursday, Feb. 15, 1-4 p.m., Diamond Hill/Jarvis Library, 1300 NE 35th St.
• Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1-4 p.m., Atwoods Ranch and Home, 6001 Lake Worth Blvd.
• Wednesday, Feb. 21, 9 a.m. - noon, Southwest Community Center, 6300 Welch Ave.
For more information call 817-392-6700.
