Got a Warrant? SWLA Amnesty Week Offers a Fresh Start

🐊 KNGT 🐊 | Lake Charles, LA — Folks around Southwest Louisiana are about to get a rare second chance, and it might help a whole lotta people get back on track.

Lake Charles and Sulphur are teaming up to hold what they’re calling a "Fresh Start Amnesty Week", starting March 16 through March 20. During this week they want to help people clear up old court issues without worrying about getting arrested when they walk through the door.

Now let’s be honest for a second. Life happens. Sometimes people miss a court date. Sometimes fines pile up. Next thing you know, there’s a warrant out there with your name on it and you’re nervous to deal with it.

Well… this program is giving folks a way to fix that.

During this five day window, people with warrants for things like failure to appear in court or failure to pay fines may be able to have those warrants recalled. In some cases, fines and fees could even be reduced or completely removed.

But there are a few things you need to know.

Not every charge is included in the program. Officials say felony charges are not eligible, and some misdemeanor cases will be handled on a case by case basis. Charges involving DWIs, synthetic marijuana, and battery are taken very seriously. Because of that, they won’t automatically qualify.

Judge Richard explained that some of those cases involve victims or serious safety concerns. But even if someone has one of those charges, they can still come in during Amnesty Week. The court can clear the warrant and set a new court date so the issue can be handled the right way.

Now if you’re sitting there thinking, “Man… I don’t even know if I have a warrant,” there’s a simple way to check.

Deputy Kevin Reeves says the best place to start is the DMV website.

If your driver’s license is suspended, it will usually tell you why. That can help point you in the right direction.

If you plan on taking advantage of the program, make sure you bring a few things with you.

You should bring:
• Any documents related to your case with Lake Charles City Court
• Your driver’s license

Also, keep this in mind when it comes to payments. Personal checks will not be accepted. If you need to pay something, you’ll need cash, a certified check, or a credit card like Visa or Mastercard.

Important information about Amnesty Week

• This program helps people save money.
• Lake Charles City Court will have extended hours during the week, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sulphur City Court will stick to its normal hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., located at 501 Willow Avenue in Sulphur.

If you’ve got questions or want more information, you can call the courts directly.

Lake Charles City Court: (337) 491-1564
Sulphur City Court: (337) 527-7006

The big thing to remember here is this program doesn’t come around very often. The last time it was offered, back in 2021, more than 10,000 people were helped.

So mark your Calendars, this is a great time to start fresh.