Criminal Defense Attorney
There is nothing worse than finding yourself in trouble with the law. Whenever small infractions are not handled properly, they can often have enormous consequences if not dealt with immediately. A warrant issued in your name may not be a good thing for you if you decide to ignore it or flee in the event that it is issued in your name, but you should take care of your affairs. A warrant can be issued against you for one of two different reasons. It is important to understand that there are two types of warrants: an arrest warrant and a bench warrant.
According to a criminal defense attorney with our friends at The Lynch Law Group, when there is probable cause a judge believes that you have committed a crime, an arrest warrant is issued. Once a judge has been able to gather enough evidence of any crime or crimes, he or she will make a decision about whether to proceed or not. If you are indicted for a crime by a grand jury, then the judge will also issue an arrest warrant on your behalf.
There is a good chance that the police will actively search for you if you have an arrest warrant. It is possible for you to be arrested anywhere you go, whether it is at home, work or even in a public place. A judge will arraign you after you have been arrested by the police, and in most cases the judge will set a bond, or may order that you be held until your trial date is set.
In addition to the arrest warrant, a bench warrant is another type of warrant that can be issued. Both criminal and civil cases can be served with a bench warrant. If you have a civil case in which you need to subpoena a witness to appear in court, a bench warrant may be issued. When a defendant misses a scheduled court date, a bench warrant will be issued on his or her behalf if he or she is facing criminal charges.
You will be actively searched for by the police based on the severity of the bench warrant issued against you. There are, however, some situations when you will be taken into custody and make an appearance in front of a judge if you are pulled over for a minor infraction.
The presence of a bench warrant is not something to take lightly and should be dealt with right away so that you do not have to worry about embarrassing yourself if you call the police to get help for yourself in the event that you need it. Generally, bench warrants state that the judge intends to see you in court and the only way for law enforcement to ensure that you will appear in court is to arrest you, since you may already have a bench warrant for failing to appear in court on another date that you were summoned to previously.
Please do not hesitate to contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible if you or someone you know has a bench warrant against them. There may be a possibility that you can avoid jail time by speaking with an attorney about your situation.