Longview municipal court again offers warrant amnesty through April 30

The Longview Municipal Court is again offering amnesty to defendants with outstanding warrants through the first four months of 2023.

Anyone with an outstanding city warrant is encouraged to contact the court to either pay in full or a minimum 50% of the total amount due and start a payment plan for the balance owed by April 30. In exchange, all warrant fees will be removed.

Additionally, as an incentive the city offers 20% off the fine amount to anyone who pays in full, according to information from the city. The discount only applies to the fine amount and doesn't include court costs, the city said. 

Court Administrator Kirby Hewett said the reason the municipal court offers the program during this time of year is because of tax season.

"Folks have an opportunity to get a fresh start and clear their cases with the city so they don't have anything hanging over their head and then move forward with peace of mind," Hewett said. 

The court also offers safe harbor for anyone that shows up to resolve their case, he added. This means that those with outstanding warrants will not be arrested should they choose to participate in the program, he explained.

Individuals that aren't able to pay half of their balance can receive assistance from the court through an agreeable action plan "for anyone that is willing to make the effort to come in and clear up their warrants," according to the city.

"We will work with them even if they're unable to come up with the amount for their amnesty, there are options to be able to get them on the right track," Hewett said. 

The program started in Jan. 2017 as a one-month program and has increased to four-months since then. Last year roughly 285 people utilized the program resulting in more than 525 warrants being cleared and thousands of dollars being saved, according to the city.

Anyone interested in taking part in the program can visit the court in person at 302 W. Cotton St. inside the Longview Police and Courts Building, call 903-237-1186 or email court@LongviewTexas.gov.