Negosentro.com | What Should You Do if There Is a Warrant for Your Arrest? | The majority of people know they do not have to permit entry to law enforcement officers who come knocking on their door without a search warrant in their possession. However, many people do not know that there are other types of warrants that these law enforcement officials can obtain.
One common type of summons is an arrest warrant. With this legal document in hand, an arresting officer says their office has probable cause to believe the suspect they wish to remand into custody committed the crime. If a person is aware they have a warrant for their arrest, they should educate themselves on the various warrant types available and learn which actions they must take to defend themselves.
BENCH WARRANT
A bench warrant is issued when a person does not show up for their court hearing. When this occurs, a judge will issue a bench warrant, and law enforcement officers may come to a person’s home to arrest them and bring them to a scheduled court appearance. It may end up costing the person time in jail for a little while until the next hearing date, or they may have to pay court fees and post bond.
GOVERNOR’S WARRANT
A governor’s warrant reaches across state lines. If a crime has occurred in one state but the suspect has moved to a new location out of state, a special warrant is needed to bring the person back over state lines. This kind of summons is called a governor’s warrant. The governor of the new home state signs an agreement with the original state allowing the suspected person to be sent back to their former state.
SEARCH WARRANT
Search warrants are approved by a judge when there is reason to believe that a person has committed a crime at a particular location. With this warrant type, officers can search your home, office, storage facility, or any place where you store items. The search warrant must include the location to be searched and which specific items the officers are looking to recover from said location.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU BECOME AWARE OF A WARRANT
OBTAIN A LAWYER
When there is a warrant out for a person’s arrest, the first action to take is obtaining the services of an attorney specializing in this type of issue. A good warrant lawyer will advise you on the next steps to take regarding the warrant against you.
TURN YOURSELF IN
Your attorney may advise you to turn yourself in. This is a better alternative than having the police show up to a place of business and conduct the arrest there because this can have harmful consequences and also tarnish your reputation.
CAN YOU BE ARRESTED WITHOUT A WARRANT?
A warrant is not always necessary for arrests to occur. Officers can search a person’s vehicle if they have sufficient cause to believe the person is hiding contraband inside. Additionally, if you are stopped for a traffic offense with contraband in plain view of an officer, they can take the items into evidence and place you under arrest.
WHAT IF THE POLICE OBTAINED EVIDENCE WITHOUT A WARRANT?
Sometimes police may obtain evidence illegally without going through the proper channels first. In cases where a person’s rights are violated by officers illegally securing evidence, the evidence may be inadmissible in court. Just as a person is read their Miranda Rights and informed of their rights before an arrest, law enforcement agents must also extend those same rights by being forthcoming in matters of conducting different types of warrants. When a person is placed under arrest, it is not always required that you are informed of the charges, but when a search warrant is issued for a person, they must be told what specific items the police are searching for.
When you are aware that you are facing arrest because of a warrant, the most important thing you must do is secure an attorney who can help you. Without an attorney who specializes in these types of cases, law enforcement can and will take advantage of a person’s inexperience with the law.
