If there is a warrant out for your arrest, you likely won’t be notified. Instead, it could come as a complete shock to you if a regular traffic stop ends with you being escorted to the back of a police vehicle. Here are the top five reasons why an arrest warrant might be issued and what you should do if you’re worried there is a warrant out for your arrest.
1. If There is Probable Cause You Committed a Crime
If law enforcement has collected enough solid evidence to believe you played a role in a crime, they can issue a warrant for your arrest.
Reasonable suspicion, on the other hand, is not enough to justify an arrest warrant.
Probable cause requires concrete evidence, whereas reasonable suspicion is based on informed judgment.
2. If You Failed to Appear in Court
This is also called a bench warrant. If you fail to appear for a court date, the judge can issue a bench warrant for your arrest. In this case, it’s unlikely that the police will actively look for you in order to arrest you. Instead, your name will be in a database that police have access to. If you are stopped for another offense, they will input your name and see you have a warrant. At this time, they can take you into custody.
3. If You Have a Warrant in Another State
If you have gotten an out-of-state warrant, you aren’t in the clear once you leave that state. Your home state can choose to extradite you back to the state where the original warrant was issued.
4. Failure to Pay Child Support
Child support orders are legally binding and must be paid. If an extended period of time has gone by during which you have not made your mandatory child support payments, you may have a warrant out for your arrest.
5. If You Violated Your Probation
If your probation officer discovers that you have violated your probation, they may notify a judge who can issue a warrant. In some cases, your probation officer may notify you of this, or give you a ‘heads up.’ If you suspect you may have a bench warrant after violating your probation, check with a defense attorney as soon as possible.
Suspect You Have a Warrant?
If you believe that there is an active warrant out for your arrest, you can check for this information online or contact an attorney to look into it for you. If you find that you have a warrant, contact Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A. today. We can help fight to mitigate the consequences of the warrant.