What to Do When You Have a Warrant Out for Your Arrest
September 12, 2022A warrant out for your arrest can be a scary thought. It indicates that your unpaid or culpable crimes or debts have been caught up with you, and now the judicial system is beginning to move against you. When a warrant is out for your arrest, you are considered a fugitive from the law and your guilt is presumed. The police are authorized to arrest and take you into custody at their discretion. At this point, the police may search you, your personal belongings, and your place of residence. In many cases, your home may be sealed off, and you may not be allowed to return to it until the warrant is lifted.
If you are reading this, you are likely very concerned about going to jail, but don’t worry because you have many options available. You can call a criminal defense attorney to help you.
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Find out why There is an Arrest Warrant
The purpose of an arrest warrant is to force the arrest of the person it has been issued against. This is usually done through the help of local law enforcement agencies. Most warrants are issued because the individual in question has failed to appear at a court date or has failed to answer a charge. Many arrest warrants are issued after the accused has failed to pay a fine.
Your local police department will typically send you a letter explaining why you have a warrant out for your arrest. If you are arrested, you will have to post bail to get out of jail. If you have a warrant out for your arrest, it is really important to find out why because the reasons vary. For example, you may have a warrant out for your arrest because you failed to appear in court after being ticketed for a traffic violation. Or you may have a warrant out for your arrest because you missed a court date after being arrested on a misdemeanor charge.
Get a Lawyer
If you’re wanted by the police, you may have a lot on your mind. It’s easy to panic but take a deep breath. It would be best if you were smart and safe. You can’t just turn yourself in. You have to plan carefully. You need to know the details of your crime and what you’re up against. A lot of people think that the best thing to do is to turn themselves in and plead guilty. But before you do that, you should talk to a criminal defense lawyer about your situation. Get legal advice before you surrender to the police.
This is one of the most crucial things you should do once you have a warrant out for your arrest. You need a lawyer that specializes in the type of crime specified in the warrant. This is necessary because each crime has its own set of laws, rules and procedures. It won’t be easy to navigate through the legal process without a lawyer who has experience in that category.
Contact Bail Bond
If you have a warrant out for your arrest and want to turn yourself in, you should probably get a bail bond before doing so. A bail bond is an insurance contract that requires you to pay a certain amount of money to a bail bond agency if you do not show up to court as scheduled. If you do not show up to court as scheduled, the bail bonds agency will pay the court the full amount of your bail and then pursue you for the money. If you have a warrant out for your arrest, you should contact a bail bond agency immediately to arrange for the bond.
Turn Yourself in
The trouble with warrants for arrest is that they’re difficult to get rid of. Most warrants come from unpaid parking tickets, but some are more serious, like DUI Warrants or outstanding warrants on serious crimes. In some cases, you might have an outstanding warrant that you’re not aware of, perhaps because the officer who issued the warrant didn’t mention it or because the court didn’t send you a notice. You might have a warrant because you missed a court date or because you pled guilty to a minor crime and didn’t show up for your court appearance.
When you have a warrant out for your arrest, you must turn yourself in. Once you turn yourself in, you will be given a court date. The court date is when you will appear before the judge. The judge will ask you if you want to plead guilty or not guilty. It is wise to plead not guilty.