Ok what if someone has outstanding court fines...

Question

Can you get arrested for court fines? And what would most likely happen at the magistrates office? Would you get ROR? Anything helps!!

Answer 1

This is what "normally" happens in PA, it may vary state to state:

If you are late on fines the magistrate will issue a bench warrant. The bench warrant gets sent to the constable. The constable will likely contact you first and tell you to report the magistrate to setle your fine or make new payment arrangements. He does not have to ask you first though. If you have a record, are extremely late, or owe a whole lot (or if he is just feeling like being a jerk), he will find you, cuff you, and escort you to the magistrate.

Then you'll go before the magistrate and set up payment arrangements. It's up to the judge if he wants to arrest you (new charges), hold you for late payments, or just set up a new payment schedule and let you go.

The worst part about it all (having the constable involved) is getting cuffed, having your neighbors see you escorted out in cuffs, and having to pay the constable fees of around $50-$100 dollars (you have to pay for his gas too I believe).

The best thing to do is suck it up and call them. In most cases nothing will happen to you. They are pretty lenient in payment too. Meaning, you can pay something like $20-$50 a month, if you can convince them that's all you can afford.

Answer 2

Yeah watch your back. You might have a Bounty Hunter looking for you. The best advice I can give you is PAY UP! Throw yourself at the magistrate before they throw you in jail and forget about you! You did the crime; you pay for it! Obviously the Fine Fairy hasn't paid up! lol

Answer 3

well my only advice is watch your rear...

There are many under sexed convicts.......

so keep your guard up and maybe u could be eligible for parole in 99 years.....

Answer 4

Eventually, the court issues an order for you to appear and show cause why you shouldn't be held in contempt of court.  If you fail to show for that hearing, the court then issues a warrant for your arrest for the new and additional crime of failure to appear.  Yes, you can be arrested and nobody gets ROR when the crime is failure to appear.