If you have committed a crime, you can’t expect to keep avoiding the grasp of the law. If you have an outstanding warrant, you could be in even more trouble. Several people are walking around driving on the road or otherwise going about their busy lives who have warrants for their arrest. This means that at any time of the day or night, the police can come to their home or job site, or pull over their car and take them into custody. This article helps you understand whether you have a warrant in Austin or not.
What are the Different Types of Warrants in Austin, TX?
Generally, there are two types of warrants that courts can issue to individuals. Let’s have a detailed look at them one by one.
1. Bench Warrant
It is called a bench warrant because it is the judge’s from the judges’ bench when they are doing roll call in court and you were supposed to appear at your traffic arraignment or any other criminal proceeding, and you are still not there, the judge will issue a bench warrant for your arrest. It can go on your criminal background and DMV record as an FTA or ‘failure to appear’.
The other way a bench warrant can be issued is if you are already convicted but are on probation and you fail to show proof of progress completion of some important obligations that were part of your sentences, such as community labor or a drug education program.
2. Arrest Warrant
This is when the judge issues an arrest warrant. It is typically in response to a police officer’s affidavit or sworn declaration that probable cause exists that you committed a crime. If you have committed a crime, you think you have gotten away with it because you haven’t been apprehended by the police. The police officer executing the arrest warrant, in other words, arresting you because a warrant exists.
It is just a matter of time before you are picked up at your home, place of business, or in your car, if you are pulled over for a traffic violation.
How Do You Know If You Have a Warrant?
Finding out whether you have any arrest warrants is quite easy, and you can go about it by calling the agency where the offense is reported. This can inform you of any issued warrants. Warrants are typically issued when a person doesn’t attend their heating in court or is being brought in for criminal charges.
If you are worried about a warrant in your name, you are right to be concerned. For instance, you might know you haven’t been paying your parking tickets, and you might keep looking over your shoulder. You can quickly find out about any active warrants from the courthouse or law enforcement agency near you. Court employees might reveal the information to you over the telephone or ask you to visit and receive the information in person. The amount of information given may also depend on the seriousness of the warrant. Chances are that the suspect might get find out about their impending arrest during the investigation, and they might decide to flee if they think they are about to be arrested.
You can find out the details of an arrest warrant through the internet without any cost. Most of the agencies provide this information on their websites. However, not all warrants may be listed even if a name does not appear in a database, a warrant still may have been issued. Hiring a private detective or an attorney is another way to search for an arrest warrant.
Detectives and attorneys are experts in performing warrant checks. And usually, they have clearance to access certain databases that are either unavailable to the general public or require a membership or fee.
If you are looking to hire an attorney or PI, make sure to check out their quotes and ask them to provide their terms and conditions clearly before you hire their services. Whether for personal or business reasons, it is very important to have as much information as possible about the person being researched. Carefully read any reports purchased online and look for disclaimers about the accuracy of the report.
How Do You Know If There Is a Warrant in Your Name?
If you miss your court date, owe money to the city for traffic tickets or fines, or have some other reason to believe there is a warrant in your name. There are a few ways you can check easily. The simplest one is to call the court clerk and ask ideally. You should have your attorney call on your behalf. If you have your inmate record you can search the Department of Corrections website.
You can also search a court’s case lookup websites or other sites that access court databases for information.
How Should You Respond If There Is a Warrant in Your Name?
If you find out any warrant in your name, the best thing to do is get ahead of it. A defense attorney will be able to advise you on the ways to get the warrant removed rather than having you surrender for arrest. If the court makes it clear that it will not remove the warrant, your attorney can then guide you on the best way to proceed further with the case.
Sometimes, good people go through bad or unfortunate scenarios, and these may result in legal ramifications and even jail time. If you have found yourself in jail or facing jail, you may connect to some great bail bond Austin TX agents, and they would help you get back to your normal life without any hassle.
So this was all about the arrest warrant in Austin. We hope we were able to answer all your queries regarding the arrest warrant in Austin, TX and you were able to understand the ways through which you can find out if you have a warrant in Austin.