Warrants in the Central Valley

There are two types of warrants; bench warrants and arrest warrants.  In both cases, it is possible that you may be arrested and may spend time to jail.  At the Law Offices of Tina M. Barberi, we are experienced in handling all types of cases where warrants were issued.

Bench Warrants

A bench warrant, often called a failure to appear, is the most common type of warrant that is issued by the court.  A bench warrant may result for many different reasons, including:

Failure to appear in court based on your written promise to appear;
Failure to complete community work;Failure to pay fines;
Failure to appear on an current case (failed to appear after court ordered you to);
Failure to appear for sentence; and,
Failure to appear at the jail to serve your sentence

  

Arrest Warrants

The second type of warrant is an arrest warrant. You may not be aware that an arrest warrant has been issued against you.  There are two ways an arrest warrant may be issued.  First, the police may obtain a formal document signed by a judge requesting the arrest of a person. Second, the district attorney may have the court issue the arrest warrant for your arrest.  There may even be a court hearing set, which you may not even know exists.

In either event, the government only needs to show that they have a reasonable suspicion that some criminal activity has occurred and you may have committed the crime.  It is possible that law enforcement can arrest you at your house, in your vehicle, at your work place, and even at the courthouse.

Can I be arrested?

Yes! If you have a warrant because you are charged with a criminal or traffic offense, all law enforcement officers can arrest you.  This includes, but not limited to police officers, county sheriff officers, bailiffs, probation officers, parole officers, investigators for the district attorney's office or an attorney general's office, and highway patrol officers.  They can arrest you whether they are on or off duty. The arresting officer does not have a copy of the warrant. Until the warrant is cleared, there is not any time limit on when the officer can make the arrest.

If you believe there is an outstanding warrant for your arrest, contact an attorney immediately. If you go to court and place your matter on calendar, you are subjecting yourself to arrest.  Until you return to court, you are at risk of being arrested, placed in jail, and brought to Court at any time. Do not wait for the police to contact you before talking to an attorney to discuss your options.