When you have a bench warrant hanging over your head, it can be hard to enjoy life to its fullest.
Knowing that there is a warrant out for your arrest can be a very unsettling feeling. You may be afraid to fly on an airplane or even travel between states in your car. You might live in fear of being pulled over for a minor traffic violation. You have probably wondered if there is a way you can remove the warrant without going to court.
If you have outstanding warrants and you know it, it is a good idea to speak to a criminal attorney in the state of New Jersey. There are a few facts about warrants that can be helpful to know.
What is a warrant?
A warrant is a legal document that a judge will issue during a criminal investigation. A search warrant permits law enforcement officers to search you or your premises. An arrest warrant will allow them to arrest you or seize your property in some cases.
A judge issues a warrant at the request of the police in the course of a criminal investigation. A bench warrant is issued by a judge when you have failed to appear in court.
If a police officer has a warrant to arrest you, they will normally take you to jail right away. A bench warrant will sit in a computer system until you have an encounter with the police, such as a traffic ticket. When the police look up your license in their computer system, they will pull up your records and see the warrant. The police will not always arrest you if you have warrants, they may just tell you that you need to go to court.
Removing Warrants
The reason bench warrants are issued in the first place is to make you come to court. If you have received notification in the mail that you have a bench warrant or recently missed a court date, you should contact a criminal attorney in New Jersey as they may be able to get a warrant removed from your record.
If you have simply missed a court date, you can call the court that has issued the warrant and reschedule the court date. Often, this will automatically remove the warrant from your records.
When going to court on criminal charges, you may have to pay bail to avoid jail. If you don’t show up to court, you won’t have to pay bail, but a warrant will be issued for your arrest. There are some cases where you can get a bench warrant removed by simply paying the bail you would have paid if you had gone to court. They will often let you make payment arrangements. According to Lustberg Law Offices LLC, it is best to have an attorney make these arrangements for you. You might have to pay extra fines in this situation, and an experienced criminal lawyer may be able to get them lowered for you.
If you have a bench warrant issued because of a parole violation or because you have violated probation, you are unlikely to be able to pay bail. Certain warrants have a no-bail status, and you will not be able to get them removed.
When you have a bench warrant hanging over your head, it can be hard to enjoy life to its fullest. It is best to contact an experienced criminal attorney who can help you take care of your warrants and move on with your life.
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