AZTEC, N.M. (KRQE) – Officials are asking people with bench warrants to turn themselves in. If they do, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) promises they’ll get “favorable consideration.”
People can turn themselves in at the Aztec Magistrate Court (200 Gossett Dr., Aztec, NM) on Friday, August 11 between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. People who do so voluntarily will receive “favorable consideration when requesting a new court date, payment plan, or any other option required to comply with the court order,” according to AOC.
“Statewide, there are 82,000 outstanding warrants in magistrate courts,” AOC Director Artie Pepin said in a press release. “Our goal is always to help anyone who wants to come back into compliance with the courts, and the San Juan Safe Surrender event will make it a little easier for people to do that.”
The AOC has held previous safe surrender events in the past. Judges considered 64 cases during an event in June, according to AOC. That event in Alamogordo helped address outstanding warrants in nearly 300 cases.
If you’re not sure if you’ve violated the rules of a court and have a bench warrant, you can check online at the AOC’s website. You can also call (855)-268-7804 toll free.
