Three Things To Do If You Have An Outstanding Warrant

If you suspect you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you need to act quickly. Because if you do not act soon, you can find yourself behind bars. The warrant is not going to disappear or go away just because you want it to. You could be arrested at home, work, or during a routine traffic stop. An arrest can take place in front of your children or parents. Do not allow this to happen. Here are a few things you need to do now.

Figure Out Why There Is A Warrant

If you suspect there is an outstanding warrant on you, you probably have a good idea why it was issued. If you do not know, that is one of the first things you need to figure out. One of the easiest ways to check is by plugging your personal information into the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Public Access System (PAS). If you find your name listed here, you may want to take the next two steps before contacting local law enforcement to turn yourself in.

There are two types of warrants in Florida that can result in your arrest. They are a bench warrant and an arrest warrant. While they both can result in you being in jail, how the warrants are issued differs. 

Bench Warrant - A judge issues a bench warrant for your failure to appear before the court for a scheduled appearance. The warrant could be issued because you are a defendant or because you have failed to respond to a summons in a case where you are a witness. 

Bench warrants are quite common, and once they are issued, law enforcement treats them just like any other type of warrant. Although it is doubtful that law enforcement will attempt to find you to serve a bench warrant, they will arrest you if they have any other interaction with you. Once arrested, you will typically be charged with failure to appear, along with any additional outstanding charges.

Arrest Warrant - An arrest warrant is issued by a judge, but at the request of law enforcement. This type of warrant is most commonly due to a criminal investigation and the officers showing the judge they have probable cause to arrest you. Once the arrest warrant is signed, the officers have the right to pick you up wherever you are. 

Hire A Criminal Attorney

Hiring a criminal attorney before turning yourself in is essential. There is a chance that when you go in front of the court, you could be detained. Your attorney will be able to review any facts you know about the outstanding warrant and prepare a compelling argument that will hopefully result in your immediate release.

If your attorney's argument is effective, there is a possibility the judge will recall the warrant and release you on your promise to appear at the next scheduled hearing. This type of release is called being released on one's own recognizance. 

Contact A Local Bail Bonds Company

Contacting a local bail bond company is also an important step to take before turning yourself in. Your bail bondsman will stand ready to provide any bail bond you need due to your outstanding charges.

Contacting the company in advance will allow you to complete any required paperwork and review the terms and conditions. Having this done in advance will lessen any detention time you may face following an arrest. 

Matt McKeehan Bail Bonds is ready and willing to work with you if you suspect you have an outstanding warrant. In addition to being willing and prepared to provide any bail you need, we can perform a warrant check and verify any information you suspect. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Give us a call to schedule an appointment.