Joplin offers amnesty in hopes of clearing warrants

JOPLIN, Mo. -- In an effort to clear nearly 5,000 outstanding warrants, one southwest Missouri city is granting amnesty to offenders who voluntarily settle cases.

It is part of an effort by Joplin to collect more than $900,000 in fines and get rid of the cases, said Lawrence Myers, administrator for Joplin Municipal Court.

All the offenses are misdemeanors. They range from assault to driving while intoxicated, Myers said. Fines generally range from $10 for failing to wear a seat belt to a maximum of $500 and up to one year in jail for more serious crimes.

If offenders pay fines before Oct. 31, the administrative fees will be waived, Myers said.

Officials also will work with offenders to set up community service.

Those arrested before the fines are paid will not be granted amnesty. Fifty-three people have already come forward, Myers said Thursday.

"If they work with us, we will continue to work with them," he said.

Joplin residents are not the only ones wanted, he said. The city has warrants for people in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

"We have 20 warrants for addresses in Tulsa and eight in Kansas City," Myers said.

Offenders are sometimes hard to track down because warrants do not include an address or telephone number.

Joplin Police Chief Kevin Lindsey, who recently took over the department, is making it a priority to get the necessary information and to track down warrants in a more timely manner.

Changes call for warrants to be delivered to patrol officers when they are issued, Lindsey said.

It was unclear whether the offer for amnesty will make a dent in the backlog of outstanding warrants.

"Unfortunately, when economic times get tough, paying a traffic ticket or complying with an order of the court isn't as important as paying rent, car payments, things like that," Myers said.