Atlanta offers amnesty for failure-to-appear warrants in traffic court
For the next month, Atlanta residents who didn’t show up in city court for traffic violations have the chance to resolve their cases without arrest.
The amnesty program runs from March 17 through April 21 and is aimed at reducing court backlog by dissolving warrants for Atlantans who failed to appear for scheduled hearings.
About 30% of residents charged with a low-level crime do not show up to the municipal court, according to city officials. Last year, more than 17,500 people failed to show up to court; this year so far, it’s been 2,600 people.
“We cannot call everyone every day — 119,000 cases last year — and say ‘come to court,’” Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher E. Ward told City Council members last week. “We have the infrastructure to handle these cases. We just have to have folks coming into court.”
Only residents who failed to appear at their scheduled hearing for traffic offenses are eligible to have their warrants waived during the 27-day time frame. The court is dedicating hearing sessions for those residents who take advantage of the amnesty program.
To check eligibility and find your case, visit court.atlantaga.gov.
About the Author
Riley Bunch is a reporter on the local government team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Atlanta City Hall. She covers the mayor and Atlanta City Council while also keeping an eye on the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
