Fail to appear for your court date or pay a fine and you could find yourself tracked down, handcuffed and carted off to jail. It could jeopardize your job if it happens in front of your boss and co-workers. It could embarrass you if it happens in front of your neighbors. It could traumatize your children if it happens in front of your family. As they say, the law waits for no man. If you don't show up in court when you're supposed to, the judge will issue a bench warrant. The most commonly issued type of warrant in California, a bench warrant is an order for a person's immediate arrest.
Most often issued for failure to appear in court on the scheduled date, a bench warrant all but guarantees you an embarrassing ride in an LAPD cruiser and a night in jail where you'll have to wait until a judge can hear your case. At your hearing, the judge will reschedule your original court date. Having proved yourself to be what the court considers a flight risk by failing to appear, the judge is unlikely to release you while you wait for your new court date. The judge will most likely set bail or return you to jail to guarantee you show up on the new date. If other outstanding warrants exist, bail will probably be denied and you'll be returned to jail. Depending on how heavy the court docket is, you could be forced to wait in jail for weeks or months until your new court date.
If you discover that a bench warrant has been issued for you, it is essential that you return to court immediately with an experienced criminal defense attorney like Stephen Rodriguez. Contact LA criminal defense attorney Stephen Rodriguez today. Fluent Spanish spoken.
