If you are like many Ohio people, you do not take getting a speeding ticket very seriously. In fact, you may just throw the ticket into your console compartment or glove box and forget all about it. If you do, however, such action may get you in a lot more trouble than the speeding ticket ever would have.
If you fail to appear in court on the date specified on your speeding ticket, FindLaw explains that the judge likely will issue a bench warrant for your arrest. (S)he likely will also charge you with failure to appear, a charge separate and apart from the speeding ticket. So now you face two charges, each of which you must eventually resolve and each of which carries its own fine.
Bench warrant consequences
Once the judge issues a bench warrant for your arrest, that information into not only the court’s computer system, but also the computer system for your local police department and/or sheriff’s department. An outstanding bench warrant gives law enforcement officers full authority to arrest you whenever and wherever they find you. You should also be aware that bench warrants have no expiration date. Yours will stay in the relevant computer systems “forever,” i.e., until your attorney gets it set aside or officers arrest you.
Admittedly, officers likely will not come knocking on your door to arrest you on a bench warrant for a speeding ticket. But they do not ignore the information, either. Keep in mind that your vehicle’s license tag number attaches to the bench warrant, just as it does to your underlying speeding ticket. So you risk officers pulling you over and arresting you every time you drive down the street.
This is general educational information and not intended to provide legal advice.
