Warrants

[Anonymous]

What is the difference between a bench warrant and a regular warrant?

[Anonymous]

cant you google this information?

[Anonymous]

Usually a bench warrant means it's an arrest warrant. The generic term warrant can also apply to the legal authorization to search and seize property.

[Anonymous]

a bench warrant is typically a warrant that is issued after someone fails to appear for a court date

a regular warrant is the paper manifestation of a criminal charge -- a person, usually a police officer, but sometimes a lay person, speaks to a neutral magistrate about their evidence of the commission of a crime -- if the magistrate determines there is enough evidence that someone is probably guilty of the described crime, they issue a warrant for the subject's arrest.

[Anonymous]

Thanks- my BIL has one and am wondering do they come get you or does it just rest until you have some chance encounter with police.

I'm curious b/c I've heard through the grapevine that he won't deal with it and was just wondering what if any consequences there were....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks- my BIL has one and am wondering do they come get you or does it just rest until you have some chance encounter with police.

I'm curious b/c I've heard through the grapevine that he won't deal with it and was just wondering what if any consequences there were....

What's the warrant for? A lot would depend on the severity of the crime. For misdemeanor theft? They'd probably never bother with him. Rape? They'll be looking for him. Sometimes they have a pre-set bail on them. Sometimes bail is left up to the court commissioner or judge.

If/when he gets arrested for something else, the warrant will function as a detainer, possibly delaying his ability to post bail or get released on his own recognizance. It becomes a real pain in the butt if you are arrested in one jurisdiction and the warrant is issued in another.

If he turns himself in, it helps during the pretrial process when determining whether to let him go pending trial.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info - I understand its for something minor - a misdemeanor. So he could in theory never have any consequences from it so long as he doesn't get arrested? (While he is a moron, he is generally law abiding...)

Seems not right to me. Then again I can't relate on many levels to him...

[Anonymous]

He should turn himself in. Even if it is for something minor (which I doubt since otherwise why not show), he's going to get held if he gets picked up. Nothing says no bail like a failure to appear.

If it's a warrant, depending on the jurisdiction, they will be looking for him. In Va, even on minor charges. Don't know about MD. In DC, it will be the US Marshals, but only if its major--which would include robbery, carjacking, assault, rape, murder. And, if it is warrant in DC for something major, they will find him, and it will not be a fun pick-up.

[Anonymous]

My idiotic BIL got some kind of traffic/speeding ticket in 1995. After multiple failures to appear over the years with a bench warrant issued every time, they went to his house and arrested him in front of his kids in 2007. Since it was the Friday before a long weekend, he was there until Tuesday and some ridiculously high bail was set. This was in Maryland (Wicomico County on the Eastern Shore). He should definitely turn himself in.