Is there a warrant in your name? Safe surrender available to Alamogordo residents

The Alamogordo Magistrate Court will let anyone with an outstanding warrant safely surrender from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 9 and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 10.

Those with warrants can surrender at the Otero County Magistrate Court at 263 Robert H. Bradley Drive.

According to officials at the Administrative Office of the Courts there are 4,775 outstanding warrants in Otero County.

Bench warrants are issued by a judge when a defendant violates the rules of the court. Violations may include not showing up for a court date or breaking probationary rules.

According to Project Coordinator Davina Nevarez, there are 2,120 misdemeanor warrants which consist of anything from driving while intoxicated to domestic violence.

There are also 2,195 traffic warrants. These warrants come from tickets issued for running a red light, stop sign or a going over- the speed limit in a school zone.

It was also reported by Nevarez that out of the 4,775 warrants, 460 are felony warrants. Felony warrants carry a larger penalty depending on the felony crime and the judge handling the case.

"The Otero County Safe Surrender event will offer those that have an outstanding warrant the opportunity to voluntarily surrender themselves in a safe environment and see a judge," Nevarez said. "Take advantage of this opportunity to become compliant with any magistrate court order."

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People with long standing warrants that range from traffic fines to speeding tickets are allowed to safely surrender without having to worry about facing the usual repercussions. Jail time and other consequences a judge would normally implement when warrants are avoided could potentially be dismissed.

“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 Deputy Director Karl Reifsteck said.

People who do not know if they have a warrant should call the toll-free information hotline at 855-268-7804 or check online at www.nmcourts.gov.

Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr.