A bench warrant is a warrant issued by a County Court judge for failure to appear in court on a misdemeanor or criminal traffic charge, such as DUI, driving while license suspended (DWLS), reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident (LSA).
Unlike felony warrants, a County Court judge in Miami-Dade or Broward will
set a bond amount for the bench warrant. This means that if you are arrested
by police, or you turn yourself in on the warrant, the judge can have
you taken into custody and made to post another
bond.
Sometimes, bench warrants are entered and the accused doesn't even
know it exists until years later, or maybe after they have moved to another
state. If the accused is trying to apply for citizenship or social security
benefits, they made be denied if they have this outstanding warrant in Florida.
Additionally, having a bench warrant in the system means that a simple
traffic stop can result in your physical arrest.
Many times, a
skilled Miami-Dade County criminal defense attorney can file a motion asking the Court to set aside the bench warrant, permitting
the accused to continue in the defense of their case without having to
post another bond. If the accused lives out of state, hiring a criminal
defense attorney with bench warrant experience in the Miami and Broward
courts is helpful. This may prevent the accused from having to physically
travel to Florida.
Bench warrants can be terribly inconvenient, and may also result in your
arrest. Don't take chances if you have an active warrant. It will
more than likely come back to haunt you if you leave it alone.
I handle bench warrant cases in both Miami-Dade and Broward County.
Call me today if I can be of assistance.