What Are Bench Warrants

For more on failing to appear in court see bail jumping or failing to appear after bailing out by contrast the arrest warrant process is started by a police officer.

What are bench warrants. Failing to appear is a punishable offense and a person can be jailed for a significant amount of time based on the type of crime or infraction they committed in addition to missing their court appointment. Leave reply see responses below. Once a bench warrant is issued however the police can treat it like any other arrest warrant and use it to bring the defendant back in front of the judge. Visit the municipal court page for more information.

Unlike a basic arrest warrant a bench warrant is not issued to initiate the first criminal action. A third instance where a bench warrant is issued is to obtain a witness who disobeys a subpoena which is a command to appear at a specified time and place to present testimony upon a certain matter. Welcome to warrants online this web service provides provides brief information on certain types of warrants issued by the municipal court within the last five years. A bench warrant is also issued when an indictment which is a written accusation of a person s guilt for an act or omission is handed down.

Some bench warrants are arrest warrants but it really depends on the circumstance in which the courts issued the warrant. A bench warrant is typically issued in the case of a failure to appear for trial sometimes abbreviated fta the bench is the traditional term for the judge s seat. A bench warrant is an arrest warrant that is ordered by a judge against the defendant in a criminal case or a similar proceeding such as for a traffic ticket. A good way to verify if a bench warrant will lead to an arrest is to contact the clerk of the court which issued the warrant.

Cit citation warrant cbw court bench warrant nta notice to appear pbv probation violation ucc uniform. A bench warrant is a summons issued from the bench a judge or court directing the police to arrest someone who must be brought before a specific judge either for contempt of court or for failing to appear in court as required. Doe john a glossary warrant type. The fta warrant is a type of bench warrant that is issued when a person has failed to appear in court or before a judge when subpoenaed or scheduled to do so.

A bench warrant is generally issued because a person failed to appear in court violated probation failed to pay a court ordered fine or failed to complete community service or pay child support. A bench warrant is an arrest warrant issued by a judge or court most commonly when a defendant fails to appear at a scheduled court hearing. This is also known as a failure to appear or fta warrant.