A bench warrant is a warrant that comes from a judge. This warrant is usually issued when a judge needs to communicate to law enforcement that they need to take custody of the defendant for the remainder of a case. Individuals with bench warrants in Fort Lauderdale criminal cases should immediately consider retaining the services of a professional attorney for help. A lawyer at Leifert & Leifert could represent you in a manner which shows that you are serious and ready to have your case heard in court. Call today to learn more.
When is a Bench Warrant Commonly Issued?
There are many different circumstances where a judge would issue a bench warrant. One common example is when an individual fails to appear in court. This happens when an individual is arrested by a local law enforcement agency and is able to bond out of jail before seeing a magistrate. They would usually receive a court notification for their first hearing, which is referred to as an arraignment, but the arrested individual might choose to not show up in court. As a result, the judge would order a bench warrant. A bench warrant could be issued at any point during the trial phase when a person does not appear in court when they are required to do so.
How Serious a Bench Warrant for an Arrest?
Bench warrants should be taken seriously by the person in question. If a person has a bench warrant for their arrest, it is vital that they take care of the matter sooner rather than later. For a misdemeanor offense, the issue may not be as severe as felony cases, but law enforcement would take the matter seriously especially when they find out a person has not presented themselves in court for an offense, potentially becoming a danger to the community. As a result, individuals in Ft. Lauderdale with bench warrants should make sure to speak with an attorney about how to resolve the matter. If they decide to show up in court with an attorney at their side, it could be a sign to the court that the defendant is ready and willing to undergo the criminal process, and that their attorney would also take on the responsibility of making sure the defendant is ready for court.
How Could a Person Find Out if they have a Bench Warrant in Fort Lauderdale?
There are some resources available to the general public, but unless they have particular knowledge as to the court system, and how the particular websites work in the law enforcement agencies website work, it is a lot more advantageous to have a criminal defense attorney for finding out if there were any warrants outstanding.
In some cases, the warrants that might be outstanding are not necessarily placed on the public system since the judges at the State Attorney’s Office do not necessarily want the general public to know that they have outstanding warrants. The theory is that, if an individual becomes aware that there is an outstanding warrant, they might make themselves unavailable by fleeing, and a great majority of these pre-trial warrants are not a matter of public record for fear that the individual would never be found.
There is also a certain degree of courtesy given to criminal defense attorneys with respect to information regarding these warrants because once an attorney is retained or hired, it is more likely that the person is looking to cooperate instead of becoming a wanted fugitive.
How Could an Attorney Help with Bench Warrants in Ft. Lauderdale?
An attorney could help someone with a bench warrant in Fort Lauderdale criminal cases in many ways. For example, with the presence of an attorney, you could show the court that you are serious about the charges being made against you and that you are willing to resolve the matter. An attorney could also prevent you from a having a bench warrant issued in the first place by making sure that all required court dates are met and that you do not break any restrictions if you have posted bond. Contact our offices today to learn more about combatting a frustrating bench warrant.
