The City of Hinesville’s Municipal Court is rolling out a 90-day-long Warrant Amnesty Program starting on Oct. 5, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on January 2, 2019, that will allow defendants to avoid arrest and the $330 warrant fee.

“The program is both beneficial to the city and the defendant,” said Municipal Court Clerk Malissa Oberlander. “The municipal court would be able to clear their warrant files and the police department would not be tying up their resources to apprehend each defendant.”

The City currently has approximately 562 failure to appear warrants that were issued between July 2005 and August 7, 2018, with a total outstanding bond amount over $375,000, including warrant fees. The court also has approximately 63 non-adjudicated contempt of court warrants, with an outstanding total bond amount of nearly $75,000, including warrant fees. 

Qualifications to take advantage of the program include:

•No police department resources can be used in the defendant’s apprehension. 

•The defendant must willfully contact the court or police department (after hours) about their warrant. 

•The defendant must pay the original bond/fine amount in full in order to get the bench warrant fee of $330.00 waived and the warrant cleared. This amount can be paid in person, by mail, by third party, Western Union, or Money Gram. 

•Payments must be made by cash, money order, cashier’s check, or credit card. No personal checks. 

•The defendant will be provided a court date if he/she would like to discuss their original charges with the judge. Some offenses would require a mandatory court appearance. These offenses include DUI, no license, shoplifting, suspended license, and vicious dog.