Question: I got a speeding ticket and the officer told me I had a warrant out. What do I do?

This was a question submitted through my sister site.  Newspaperattorney.com

Newspaperattorney.com is a site that I created and where I allow people to write in and I will answer questions for them about legal issues.  Currently we have about 17 newspapers publishing the article in their print or on their website.  This was a recent question that I thought may be relevant for the this blog.

Q:  I live in Kansas and I was pulled over for speeding in Kansas.  When I got pulled over the officer told me I had a warrant out for my arrest.  The officer didn't arrest me but told me to clear it up.  He also told me my license was suspended.  I don't know why the warrant was issued or where the warrant is from.  What should I do?
A:  I would start in Kansas, and I would start with the Kansas Department of Revenue.  Most of the time people have a warrant out for not showing up to court.  Many times this is because a person has a traffic ticket they didn't take care of.  When you get a ticket and don't go to court then the judge will often do two things: 1) Suspend your driver's license 2) issue a warrant for your arrest.  This may be what happened.  To find out where the ticket was issued you can go to the Kansas Department of Revenue's website and check why your license is suspended.  This video will explain how to do it.



Once you have found out where your license is suspended then you can begin the process of taking care of the warrant and addressing the suspension.   If this doesn't provide you with the answer you need (no warrants are present) then you may have a warrant out for a criminal case. If the warrant is because of a criminal case you may want to contact a criminal defense lawyer so that he/she can surrender you to the court and get a bond set for your release.  This may save you money on a bond, and will give you an opportunity to talk with a criminal defense lawyer.  To determine if you have a warrant on a criminal case you can go to the jail in your county and ask, or you can have a lawyer send in a written request to the sheriff's office.  Beware if you go in to the jail they may arrest you if you have a warrant out.  Depending on what state you are in this process will obviously differ.  Spend a little time researching on google and call a local criminal defense lawyer if you need additional help. Good Luck!