If you are ticketed for rolling a stop sign or face a fine following a more serious matter like a DWI arrest, you may be wondering what will happen if you cannot or choose not to pay these court ordered fees. We’re not here to advise you one way or another, because every case is different and advice should not be applied unilaterally to different situations, but we want to break down what might be in store in the event you can’t or won’t pay a fine associated with your citation or arrest. Below, we take a closer look at what can happen if you don’t pay a fine in Minnesota.
Consequences Of Not Paying A Fine
Let’s start with basic offenses and work our way up to more serious situations. Let’s say that you have been ticketed and the citation provides you with an optional court date or a way to contest the citation. In these situations, which are pretty typical for petty misdemeanors or misdemeanors, you have a couple of options. First off, you can just pay the fine if you choose to do so, especially if no other action is needed. However, note that full or partial payment of a fine is constitutes a guilty plea and a waiver of rights that equate to a conviction. Don’t pay the fine then show up in court hoping to contest the ticket and have your money refunded, because that won’t happen. Paying the fine means you accept a guilty plea for that instance.
If you opt not to pay the fine, you’ll need to make a plan to contest the charges in court. You should show up to court on your appearance date ready to defend yourself against the charges or hire an attorney to fight the case on your behalf. You may also request to have a different court date scheduled in the event that you cannot attend on the provided court date, but either way, don’t just ignore the ticket and assume it will just be forgotten about. Ignoring the fine is okay if you plan to contest the citation or arrest in court.
If you do not pay the fine and do not show up for court, things will likely get worse for you. Some potential penalties you may face include:
- Late fees
- Bench warrant issued
- Driver’s license suspension/revocation
You may only face late fees, but you can’t guarantee that more penalties won’t come down the pipeline, so again, don’t just bury your head in the sand. Make a plan to deal with the outstanding fine one way or another. If you simply can’t pay the fine, you can make this known to the court and can get set up on a payment plan so that fines don’t increase and your case isn’t sent to collections.
For more serious cases, penalties can increase if you fail to pay fines or court-ordered restitution. A warrant for your arrest may be issued, or the prosecutor or your probation officer may petition the court to have probation revoked. This can trigger more serious consequences based on your probation guidelines. For example, it may trigger automatic jail time or other penalties listed in your original probation terms. Again, we understand that it may be difficult or impossible to keep up with fines or restitution schedules, but bring this up to your lawyer, your probation agent or the prosecution when probation is being established. Getting ahead of a potential problem is better than asking for forgiveness because you didn’t hold up your end of the probation requirements.
At the end of the day, you have some options if you’re unable or unwilling to pay fines or court costs associated with your ticket, but talk about these concerns with your lawyer or the court so that problems don’t snowball and get worse. Contest your ticket or establish a payment plan, but don’t just ignore your obligations and hope things get better, because they won’t.
If you need help contesting a ticket or fighting a criminal charge, be proactive and sync up with the experienced lawyers at Appelman Law Firm. We’ll help you navigate your situation and work towards an ideal outcome. For more information, or to talk with a lawyer about your case, reach out for a free case review today by calling (952) 224-2277.
