Bench warrant for failure to appear

[bluesingincat]

What is the name of your state?Illinois I have an outstanding bench warrant for my arrest in Illinois stemming from my failure to appear at a small claims court hearing. I called the attorney representing the creditor the day before my court date to try and schedule another hearing, because the transmission went out in my car, and the court location is 4 hours from my home. I was informed by the attorney's secretary that re-scheduling was out of the question, and the judge would issue a warrant for my arrest. There was a warrant issued. ( I verified this.)The claim was for a $268 medical bill that I had already paid. I had no idea that legal proceedings had been started. The first indication I had was when I was served a summons to appear for the purpose of determining and verifying my income. There was obviously a judgement brought against me for the $268 sometime previous to this. (Or was there?) I was moving from Illinois to Wisconsin in the middle of all this, and I never resolved this. I am very angry because I have paid this bill. The original bill was dated 3 years prior to the summons. The office visit was paid for by my live-in boyfriend at the time. He wrote a personal check for the visit. He and I broke up soon after my appointment with the doctor and I cannot locate him.(I have tried) The summons was served to me in 1999. I am still living in Wisconsin. Sorry so long...
My questions are:

Will the warrant be enforceable in the state of Wisconsin?
Does this bench warrant have an expiration, and if so, can it be renewed?
I would appreciate any help with this.

 

[ptlmejo]

Will the warrant be enforceable in the state of Wisconsin?

Probably not. I can't imagine the state wanting to extridite someone for $200 and some change. The cost of doing so would be far beyond that of the warrant itself.

Does this bench warrant have an expiration, and if so, can it be renewed?

Warrants technically never expire, however, usually are purged from the system at some point. What that point is depends upon what it's for, the agency that entered it, etc, etc.

Bottom line with this is, take care of it before it decides to take care of you.

 

[bluesingincat]

Thank you for your information and advice. I think it's ridiculous that I should be in this position for a medical bill that was never owed, especially when the amount in question is only $268. I don't understand why any medical provider would refuse to try and work this out with me. I have tried to resolve this out of court, but was refused. I don't owe the money. If I hire an attorney it will cost me more than the the original medical bill. I feel that my civil rights have been violated because I am being treated like a criminal. It's almost as if they have found a loophole that reconstructs the banned "debtor's prison" system. Damned if I do and damned if I don't. I was absolutely amazed that the judge ordered a bench warrant for my arrest. I have 4 children and no immediate family. We are living in Wisconsin because I have found stable employment here. If I were to turn myself in I would have to travel 8 hours to get to the court house, and there is no one here to care for my children in the meantime. Not to mention the fact that I would have to miss work. I am struggling as it is. I know this has no relevance to the court, but it is a reality for me and my kids. There is the letter of the law, and there is the spirit of the law. I believe the spirit of the law in my case has been corrupted. Thank you again for your reply.