What Happens If I Have A Bench Warrant
If you do not appear in court it is a criminal offense and depending on circumstances can result in additional fines fees and bench warrants being issued.
What happens if i have a bench warrant. A bench warrant is similar to a traditional arrest warrant with the exception that bench warrants are almost explicitly issued as a result of a missed court appearance. In serious criminal cases a failure to appear will most likely lead to a regular arrest warrant which would spur immediate attempts to find and jail the defendant. It is best to address warrants immediately to decrease the likelihood of experiencing complications and increased legal fees. A bench warrant is issued by a judge and directs the police to take the person who is named in the warrant into custody and before the court.
Below explains what an fta warrant means what options you have and how you can properly turn yourself in for an fta warrant. What can happen if i fail to appear for court. Generally the bench warrant exists until you return to court and have the judge recall the warrant. There is really only one thing to do if you have a bench warrant in another state.
You want to clear up a bench warrant before it compounds your problems making a small infraction into a bigger matter requiring more time and money than the original ticket or other minor incident. Penal code 813 c. A bench warrant is a warrant directing law enforcement to take a person into custody and bring the person before the court to address the reason the warrant was issued. Arrest warrants and bench warrants are the two types of warrants that can land you in jail.
The longer you wait the worse the consequences will become. 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. It can arise in three main ways. Ultimately you will be taken into custody.
Get an attorney for criminal defense and turn yourself in. They ll file a petition with their local court to have the warrant issued. Usually an arrest warrant is issued if police suspect you of committing a crime. First a bench warrant can only be issued when a person has been properly served with a summons to appear in court and thereafter fails to appear at the designated time and place.
Courts most commonly issue bench warrants for failure to appear for violating probation or for failure to comply with a court order to pay a fine complete community service pay child support or do some other act. A bench warrant is a judge s order for the arrest of an individual to have that person present oneself in court. What happens when you ignore a bench warrant. What happens if i have a warrant for arrest in another state.