When there is a warrant placed under your name for your arrest, you might not be aware of it right away. In fact, most of the time, people have no clue the police want them in custody until they are actually in cuffs.
There are two types of warrants that can be filed under your name:
- Bench warrants: If you missed a court date, violated probation, failed to comply with a specific order approved by the court, or didn’t participate in court-appointed community service, such as jury duty, a bench warrant can be created against you. Police rarely seek to fulfil bench warrants actively but instead bring them up and act upon them if they are already interacting with the named individual.
- Arrest warrants: At some point, if you have been accused of a crime and investigators or police officers believe they have enough evidence against you to bring you into custody, an arrest warrant will be created. Since the stakes are much higher in regards to why arrest warrants are created, the police will actively seek out such individuals.
Cooperation & Quick Resolution
If you have recently become aware of a bench or arrest warrant with your name on it, what are you supposed to do? For starters, warrants never go away on their own. They don’t have an expiration date or a statute of limitations that makes them disappear from records. The only way they can vanish without your input is if a judge or other appointed official erases it; this could be the case if you were a suspect in a crime but another person has been caught and convicted, ending the case.
Since a warrant never goes away, the best thing you can do is turn yourself in to the nearest police station. Your cooperation will be appreciated and you can get to the bottom of the accusations or issues sooner, allowing you to gain some welcome stress relief. Imagine constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering if the police are going to grab you. Not an ideal situation by any means.
Keep in mind that once you turn yourself in, any number of circumstances can unfold. You could be ordered to pay the fines you have missed, be placed in jail until a hearing, or be arraigned for criminal charges. For this reason, it is recommended that you seek out a criminal defense lawyer before you turn yourself in so you can be prepared with legal counsel from the beginning.
If you live in Arizona and need legal support after learning of a warrant out for your arrest, Naegle & Crider PLC and our Mesa criminal defense attorneys can help you. We offer 24/7 emergency availability for situations just like this, so do not hesitate to call 480.418.0776 and let us know what is going on.