If you have been asked to appear in Court and miss a court date, chances are the judge is going to issue a bench warrant for your failure to appear in court. This type of warrant gives the police the power to arrest you wherever they find you. Bench warrants are listed in a database that is accessible to local law enforcement and if the police pull you over and discover your name in the database, they will take you into custody.

It is understandable that people may have to miss court. Some people forget that they have a court date and others just don’t understand what it means when a police officer tells them they must appear in court or pay a fine by a certain date. While these are valid excuses and may be considered by a judge it will not stop a judge from issuing a bench warrant if you fail to appear. Once a bench warrant is issued, or if you realize you missed your court date, you should contact a warrant defense lawyer immediately.

A search warrant gives law enforcement the authority to search your person and/or your property. A search warrant does not allow the police to arrest you. However, if the police find something on your property which leads them to reasonably believe you have committed a crime, you can be arrested. When a search warrant is issued, you should consider that a clear indication that you are being investigated for a crime. If you are the target of a search warrant you should contact a warrant defense lawyer immediately.

An arrest warrant is different from a bench warrant. If an arrest warrant is issued, the police will find you and arrest you. When arrest warrants are issued, the police may come to your home or your place of employment to look for you. If the police find you, you should expect to be handcuffed and taken into police custody.

Arrest warrants can be requested by the District Attorney if the DA knows they are going to file a criminal complaint against you. Police can request an arrest warrant if they can convince a judge that you have committed a crime.

If you find out you have a warrant, you should immediately talk to a warrant defense attorney to determine your next steps. If you are arrested on an arrest warrant it is critical that you inform the police that you are invoking your Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, and not say another word about your case.

As a former prosecutor, our warrant defense lawyers understand the rules for issuing and executing warrants. By hiring us to defend you against a warrant, we will make sure that all of the proper protocols and processes were followed when peace officers executed the warrant or served you with the summons. We’ll begin helping you to prepare a response to your charges as well, which could include negotiating a plea deal with the prosecutor on your behalf or getting ready to go to court to fight against a conviction.