Ticket for windshield obstruction in 97 in NY

What is the name of your state? Indiana

Back in 1997, I was driving a friend's truck from Indiana to Maine to see a friend. 12 hours into the trip, I was pulled over in New York state for speeding. The police officer didn't issue me a speeding ticket, but instead issued me a ticket for some crap my friend had hanging from his rear view mirror.

Well, to make a long story short.. I never ended up paying the ticket. I've since lost it. Neither my friend nor myself ever recieved anything by mail, phone, or carrier pigeon from that incident.

I've since owned many different vehicles and have had my license renewed. I've also sucessfully gotten my gun permit. Apparently Indiana doesn't talk to New York about anything like that, because I have yet to hear anything from the state about it.

I was wondering a couple of things:
1) Is there a warrant out for my arrest in New York State?
2) Will this ticket stay in their database for ever & ever (statute of limitations?)

If I never plan on living in New York.. should I even worry about it?

Thanks in advance...

There COULD be a warrant in NY and it COULD pop up at an inconvenient time ... like when you are applying for a government job or loan. It also might never pop up outside of New York state.

The question then becomes, how much of a gamble is it to ignore? I suppose it depends on what you plan on doing with your life. If having a warrant will impede your career goals, you might want to resolve the matter. I am sure NY wants to resolve the issue and would prefer not to put you in jail. So if it's a concern, you might consider contacting the jursidiction where you received the cite and then either arranging for a court date or securing an attorney to handle it for you.

My guess is that it's not a big deal to take care of. But, if you wait for the really bad moment ... it could come back to bite you some years down the road.

- Carl