Do You Have an Outstanding Warrant?

If you have committed a crime, you may have a warrant out for your arrest. A judge signs the warrant which should have your name on it, as well as the crime that you were accused of committing. In the past, many defendants could get away with having outstanding misdemeanor warrants for several years or decades. 

Now that is changing, officers are aggressively serving and arresting defendants for bench warrants and jail warrants (for not doing required community service).  They can show up to your home or place of work.  Sometimes its also at a very inconvenient time, like right before Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Instead of cozying up next to the fireplace, you could be cozying up next to your new cellmate.

So, how can outstanding warrants happen?

Many people have warrants out for their arrest and they don't even know about it. Maybe you missed a court date on a ticket but didn’t know the ticket required a mandatory appearance.  You thought you’d just get a fine and move on.  For instance, tickets for suspended license, reckless driving, exhibition of speed, all are mandatory appearances. However, many people don’t realize this and think they’ll just get a fine.  When they don’t show up a bench warrant is issued for their arrest.

If they do know about it, they may be hiding out and trying to avoid the arrest (for any number of reasons). Many people run from the law when they hear that they have a warrant out for their arrest. Some have been able to hide for several months or even years, though most eventually get caught!

The station may be busy, and they haven't had time to serve the warrant yet. It takes time to get the paperwork together and send an officer to your home to give you your warrant. Sometimes, especially with smaller crimes, these fall through the cracks due to the busyness of the station.  Again, were seeing less of this situation compared to years past.  They are far more on the ball these days as far as serving the warrants.

Also, once you are apprehended your punishment may, often be worse.  The court frowns on failures to appear.  If you were ordered to complete community service and didn’t, you may end up with a stiffer sentence. 

Should I hire an Attorney for my Warrant?

If we’re hired to handle the case, we can often speed up the process directly.  We can, often, get your case calendared in front of the judge for a warrant recall much faster than you can on your own or through the clerk’s office.  In addition, we are there to present evidence on why you should not be punished for the failure to appear or failure to complete community service.  In these circumstances, we can often make a significant difference. 

We can help you through the whole process so that you get the best sentence possible. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.