FTA Warrant Removal Criminal Defense Attorney
Serving Atlanta and Surrounding Areas, Including Cartersville, Canton, Decatur, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Marietta, and McDonough.
Attorney Lloyd J. Matthews treats everyone he serves with seriousness and respect, no matter what the client’s situation is. He will guide you through the legal process from start to finish and lend his decades of experience and knowledge to you and your legal issue, including problems with FTA (Failure to Appear) warrants, theft crimes, violent crimes, sex crimes, and more. For more free information specifically on these issues you can check out our Blog.
The FTA (Failure To Appear) Warrant
If you get a ticket, you are obligated to show up to court. If you fail to appear, the judge can issue you A Failure to Appear (FTA) which can lead to a bench warrant in Georgia. Bench warrants can also be issued against people to failing to pay a fine or driving illegally with a suspended license. If you don’t attend your court date for a criminal offense or traffic citation, the judge will punish you with a bench warrant for your arrest and your driver’s license will be suspended.
According to Georgia law, a judge may issue a bench warrant for arrest when a person does not appear in court after:
- Receiving notice of a mandatory court date in open court
- Receiving notice in the mail containing the court date, location, and time, or
- A court official or officer of the court has notified the defendant of an approaching court date in writing.
- FTA driver’s license suspension goes into effect 28 calendar days after the Department of Driver Services receives notice about the person’s failure to appear in court.
FTA Warrant Removal
You will stay in FTA status until you pay the fines and schedule an FTA hearing before a judge, who will consider your FTA charge.
When you arrive in the courtroom, you will either be asked to pay a fine of $100 for failing to appear in court or asked to appear before the judge, who will review any potential mitigating circumstances on why you failed to appear in court. Make sure you bring any documentation you have to support your case (for example, you may have missed court because you were in jail or because you were in the hospital).
Bear in mind that there are rules governing how physical evidence can legally be collected. If you believe law enforcement officers violated your Fourth Amendment rights as they obtained physical evidence in your case, contact the Law Office of Lloyd J. Matthews to file a suppression motion to exclude the evidence at trial in front of the judge.
If you receive a request to pay the FTA fine of $100 in lieu of appearing before the judge, following payment you will receive:
- Form 912 FTA Withdrawal to reactivate your driver’s license, submitted to the Georgia Department of Driver Services
- Fail Safe letter, cancelling your arrest warrant
- Receipt copy showing you paid the FTA fine
Remember to bring your Fail Safe letter with you when you arrive to the Georgia DDS to turn in your Form 912. If an officer stops you en route to the DDS, show the officer your Fail Safe letter and Form 912, and remember to bring $210 and proof of identity to pay the DDS fee required to reactivate your driver’s license.
