Understanding Bench Warrants

New York City Criminal Defense Lawyer

A bench warrant is a type of warrant that is issued by a judge for those in contempt of court or a failure to appear as required in court by the defendant in either a criminal or civil trial. If a person has an outstanding bench warrant, law enforcement offers are obligated to arrest the person and take them to jail immediately. In many cases, the defendant will be allowed a higher bail and a new court date with possible new conditions of the charge. In situations where the suspect is thought to be a flight risk, the court may not allow bail and the defendant will remain in jail until court.

Are you facing arrest in New York City?

In many cases, a person may not even know that a bench warrant has been issued for their arrest. This occurs often when there the notice to appear in court was not received due to a move or other problem and suspects may not become aware of their bench warrant until a traffic stop from a traffic violation, arrest and ensuing stay in jail. The negative impacts of a bench warrant can range from the risk of arrest at any time, to inability to get certain jobs, loans and more. There are a wide variety of reasons why a failure to appear in court may occur and a strong criminal defense attorney can move forward quickly to get the matter resolved.

If you are aware of an outstanding bench warrant in your name, it is absolutely a better decision to resolve the matter before law enforcement resolves it for you. Fighting a bench warrant can be a challenge in some cases, but taking pre-emptive action is often a step in the right direction in terms of a demonstration of responsibility - which the court appreciates. Musa-Obregon & Associates can help to build a strong case to fight your bench warrant and their dedicated attorneys will work hard to make sure that you get the fair representation you are entitled to under the law.