Outstanding warrants are arrest warrants that have not been served. There are three types of outstanding warrants. There are different reasons for outstanding warrants. One thing to keep in mind about outstanding warrants is that it does not mean the person is guilty or has committed a crime. Arrest warrants are issued when the police suspect a person of committing a crime. Don’t forget the famous “innocent, until proven guilty” motto that the U.S. courts follow.
The three different types of outstanding warrants are: bench warrants, old warrants and arrest warrants. Bench warrants are generally issued for failure to appear for a court date. Arrest warrants are issued when there are suspicions that a person committed a crime. Old warrants are from years ago and generally have special considerations involved.
If you didn’t go to a court date or have outstanding parking tickets or other traffic infractions that have not been addressed, there is a chance a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. Many times people are unaware there is a bench warrant for their arrest. After a certain time frame if the you have not appeared in court for the warrant, they are called outstanding warrants.
If you are a suspect in a misdemeanor or felony crime, that the police did not witness, they can issue an arrest warrant. If you are arrested at the time the arrest warrant was issued, the police are required to take you in front of a judge immediately. If the police attempt to serve the warrant and are unsuccessful, after a certain time frame, the warrant becomes outstanding warrants.
Regardless of what type of outstanding warrant you may have, it is best to obtain an attorney for advice on how to handle the warrant. Even though all courts practice the same laws, it is more beneficial to obtain a local attorney to handle your outstanding warrants, because they are familiar with the court officers and local systems.
