Next Friday and Saturday, people with an outstanding bench warrant in St. Louis Municipal Court will have a chance to set a new court date or even take care of the charges on the spot. They鈥檒l also have a chance to get a COVID-19 vaccine. And, if they can show proof of full vaccination, the court will offer $100 off their fines and court fees.
鈥淭he original conception of the event was to make vaccination clinics available at the same time as the amnesty to give people the opportunity to get vaccinated,鈥� explained Municipal Judge Newton McCoy on Friday鈥檚 St. Louis on the Air. That idea was later expanded to give an incentive to those who have already gotten their shots.
The weekend events represent the fourth consecutive warrant amnesty dates in the city, yet the number of outstanding warrants continues to rise. In 2018, there were 54,000 outstanding warrants; now there are about 138,000. That鈥檚 a 155% increase.
McCoy, who is the administrative judge for the St. Louis Municipal Court, said that the warrants reflect the court鈥檚 increased portfolio, which now includes citations from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, dumping cases, Metro tickets and more.
McCoy said the pandemic has likely caused outstanding warrants to increase as well.
鈥淢aybe people have been less interested in coming to court, or else they鈥檝e felt that during COVID everything has come to a halt 鈥� which it really hasn鈥檛, because we鈥檝e been conducting virtual court,鈥� McCoy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for me to know what a person who is deliberately not coming to court to avoid us is thinking.鈥�
Bench warrants are typically issued by a judge after someone doesn鈥檛 show up in court. In municipal court, where cases often involve traffic violations, they can still lead to arrest unless they are dealt with and the accompanying fees are paid.
The municipal court will offer warrant forgiveness on August 27-28. The court can be reached at (314) 622-3231.
The St. Louis Circuit Court, which handles misdemeanors and felonies, will also offer warrant forgiveness on Friday, August 27. About 2,000 outstanding warrants there are considered eligible and people should call the court at (314) 641-8214 for more information. Unfortunately for those defendants, that court is not offering vaccine incentives.
Related Events
What: St. Louis Municipal Court Warrant Forgiveness
When: 8 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m., August 27-28, 2021
Where: St. Louis Municipal Court, 1520 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63103
What: St. Louis Circuit Court Warrant Forgiveness
When: 8 a.m. 鈥� 5 p.m., August 27, 2021
Where: St. Louis Circuit Court, 10 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101
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