Re-Entry with Presumed Warrant

[martinrat]

I got a DUI in Colorado back in '88; at the time I had a California driver's license. The judge gave me 24 hours community service, which in my youthful arrogance I didn't do. In 1990 I moved back to Australia, and I no longer have a green card.

I've been back to the states several times since then, the last time in 1999/2000, and I've never been picked up by Customs for this old affair. Still, I assume there must be some kind of warrant out there since I did not complete my obligations. Next year I hope to come back to LA to visit friends and family on the way through to Europe. I'll be using my Australian passport. Is there any way that I'll be identified at Customs this time around? And if so, what would happen?

Thanks to anyone with some insight.

[Mr. Knowitall]

You'll have to see what happens at the port of entry.

Consider retaining a lawyer in California to try to negotiate some sort of payoff or resolution of the case, as the prosecutor and court may be amenable to that if you're in another country with their having no reason to believe you're going to return.

[medcoder&bill]

If you ever were allowed entry i highly suggest you don't drive for ANY reason. That will be when you will get in trouble. That's where your criminal past is stored. Sometimes I think, that's the reason why they do traffic enforcement in disguise of catching people with warrants of arrest since 1901.