Asked 7/12/2016 – Van Horn, TX

My husband was issued a citation for no seatbelt in Texas. We are residents of AZ. The officer provided a number and date we needed to call in by. There is no way to pay the citation, no fine listed, etc. I have called the number on the ticket multiple times. It is disconnected. I called the main line provided on their website (which took some research) no one called back. I emailed the only address I could find, nothing. I finally got through after multiple hours of looking and was told the number hadn’t been updated, here is the new one. However when you call it for that judge, it’s a cell phone and the mailbox is full. I have called over a dozen times, my husband has called. The officer who cited the ticket isn’t even from the area and we called them which turned into having to call another department, which lead us on a wild goose chase with no end and no help. I texted the number. No one seems to know how to do anything. Just keep trying is their answer. I called the county attorney’s office, who gave me the same cell that I have. So basically, I don’t want to have a bench warrant for my husband, but I’m getting pretty annoyed with this system and not knowing what to do.

Answer

In the legal realm, phone calls generally do not count as an appearance in court as required. If there is an address on the citation, send a letter to the court explaining the attempts you have made to contact the court, and how you wish to plead on the case (either guilty, not guilty or no contest). You may also contact a local attorney in the county where you received the citation if you do not feel conformable in proceeding on your own.