The state magistrate courts will allow anyone with an outstanding bench warrant, from any magistrate court in the state, to “safely surrender” at the Española Magistrate Court on Friday and Saturday.
The event runs from 1-7 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The “safe surrender” gives people with outstanding magistrate court warrants the chance to go into court and an “opportunity to avoid jail and other consequences,” as they will immediately appear in front of a judge.
“At the time of surrender, anyone who appears voluntarily will receive favorable consideration when requesting a new court date, payment plan, or any other option required to comply with the court order,” Administrative Office of the Courts Spokeswoman Beth Wojahn wrote in a press release.
Last year, 1,100 warrants were cleared and 356 cases were heard following safe surrender events in Santa Fe and Las Cruces.
Bench warrants are often issued for people who fail to appear for court hearings, which results in cases getting paused, or when someone hasn’t paid court fines. Bench warrants are often served, meaning the person wanted on the warrant is arrested and brought to jail, following traffic stops or interactions with police officers when an officer runs someone’s name through the court system.
Anyone who wants to find out whether they have a bench warrant can call a toll free warrant hotline at 855-268-7804, Wojahn wrote.
“Helping people with bench warrants find solutions, that’s what Safe Surrender events are all about,” Administrative Office of the Courts Director Karl Reifsteck wrote in the press release.