Understanding Bench Warrants in NY

Bench Warrants in NYC

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 his or her scheduled court date.

Are you Facing Arrest in Queens?

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.

Understanding Contempt of Court

Failing to appear before court or to serve a jury summons is considered contempt of court, which is a punishable offense that should be avoided at all costs. The penalties for a contempt of court offense can be quite serious depending on the situation and circumstances behind your decision to flee. Though judges are ultimately responsible for issuing warrants, individuals can file an affidavit requesting a bench warrant for your arrest. An example of a situation in which an individual would want to file for a bench warrant is if a former spouse refuses to pay child support. The bench warrant would effectively bring the offending party before a judge to answer for his or her actions.

Representation from a NYC Bench Warrants Lawyer

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 Law PC 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.