Warrant in Texas, Drivers License in California?

Let's assume these are in fact for a victimless crime. Let's say for traffic tickets which make up a large majority of offenders with warrants. No state will arrest you for misdemeanor warrants from another state (Felonies are different). Do you think that either side is willing to pay to transport someone 1800 miles for a victimless crime? That's ridiculous. Case in point: "Bob" was stopped in Richardson, TX for speeding. It was found, by the officer who stopped him, that "Bob" had warrants for his arrest for several vehicle and driver related infractions in Dallas, TX which is a city in the same county. The officer brings this to "Bob's" attention but lets him go because Richardson will not pay to house him for another city's non violent warrants with the odds in "Bob's" favor that Dallas will never come to pick him up. Now, on a later date, "Bob" is stopped again in Richardson, TX for a traffic infraction and it turns out he did not pay his ticket for the previous Richardson ticket which has now become a warrant. Richardson gladly arrests him and holds him for the judge so he can enter his plea. After satisfying the city of Richardson its police department contacts Dallas and informs them that they have one of their "fugitives", would they like to come pick him up? Dallas says they will let them know in an hour. Dallas finally returns their call and says "no", but faxes paperwork with a court date; "Bob" is free to go. Now there are many variations on this theme but if adjacent cities in the same county wont mess with it what do you think two states separated by a vast desert will do? Once upon a previous time "Bob" was a resident of Arizona where he accumulated traffic tickets which became warrants. Upon leaving Arizona and moving to Texas "Bob" applied for a Texas license to replace his AZ license. DPS of course ran a check and found the misdemeanor warrants. While standing next to a uniformed DPS officer (one with the Stetson hat, revolver, handcuffs and badge) the clerk informs "Bob" of his Arizona arrest warrants which carry no detail in the system other than being misdemeanors from Arizona and informs him to get them taken care of as she hands "Bob" his temporary Texas license (Two weeks later receiving his permanent Texas license in the mail). Bob exchanges smiles with the clerk and the stern (yet friendly) DPS officer; heading on his merry way. These are limited examples, I admit, but I hope I have conveyed my point even with my ramblings. In conclusion you CAN move across state lines to flee misdemeanor warrants. Loop hole? Who can say...

Axel,

While your conjecture on how the system treats victimless crime makes sense to those who use logic and act rationally, you're wrong in the actuality of at least parts of the Texas legal system.

I've had to bail someone out of Jail at 3am due to them being arrested here in Austin for an unpaid traffic infraction in San Antonio. The “system” really could care less what makes sense or not, or what cost more or costs less, the police do what they're told. If they're told to arrest people with misdemeanor traffic violations, then they arrest those with misdemeanor traffic violations. The local rags have been bitching about it for the last year or two, so Google it if you want...

Also, in the 90's, Texas would not issue you a Texas license if you had unpaid traffic tickets (much less warrants) from the State you were moving from. Maybe that's changed in the 2000's, but I can't see them going backwards...

MJ

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M.J. Taylor
Publisher
from Reason to Freedom