Here’s a question worth asking: Should a missed seatbelt ticket really be enough to land someone in jail?
That’s exactly what happened in Minford this week—and it didn’t start with anything serious.
Scioto County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a home after a report of a verbal and physical argument between family members. When deputies arrived to sort out the dispute, they ran names and discovered one of the people on scene—Steven Burchett—had an active warrant.
He was taken into custody and booked into the Scioto County Jail.
The reason for the warrant?
A seatbelt ticket.
Court records show Burchett was cited back in June for failing to wear a seatbelt, a minor misdemeanor. When he didn’t show up for court, the judge issued a failure-to-appear warrant. Months later, during an unrelated family call, that warrant caught up with him.
Burchett posted $115 bond to get out of jail. The original charge was later dismissed, and the bond was refunded—but the jail trip had already happened.
Fair… or Too Far?
This case raises a bigger question many people have faced at one point or another:
- Is it fair that a low-level traffic ticket can turn into handcuffs and a jail cell?
- Or is this simply how the system has to work to keep people showing up to court?
Law enforcement officials say this scenario is common—and avoidable. Courts don’t issue warrants over the ticket itself, but over the missed court date. Once a warrant exists, officers are legally required to act on it—no matter how small the original violation was.
How Small Tickets Snowball
Here’s how it usually unfolds:
- You get a traffic ticket
- You forget or put off the court date
- A failure-to-appear warrant is issued
- The next police encounter—any encounter—can lead to arrest
At that point, consequences can include:
- Jail time
- Bond money
- Missed work
- Towing fees or court costs
All over something that might have been resolved in minutes at court.
Have You Been There?
Many people have. Missed mail. Changed addresses. Thought a ticket was “no big deal.”
Have you ever:
- Forgotten a traffic court date?
- Found out later you had a warrant you didn’t know about?
- Ended up paying far more than the original ticket was worth?
We want to hear from you.
Is this system reasonable accountability, or does it punish people too harshly for small mistakes? Share your experiences—because chances are, you’re not the only one who’s been caught off guard by a “minor” ticket that turned into a major headache.
