Warrants

The situation has played out over and over again. You’re on vacation with your family, or you’re on your way to work. Maybe you’re driving to meet a friend or loved one, and you get pulled over. It could be for a minor traffic violation, or maybe the officer who pulled you over just made a mistake. Soon you’re in the back of the officer’s patrol unit. It turns out a warrant had been issued for your arrest.

A warrant is a legal document issued by a magistrate/judge that directs/allows law enforcement officials to do something, typically involving a search and/or seizure. Police are not required to notify you that they are applying to a judge for a warrant, so you may not know that a warrant has been issued for your arrest or to search your home until the authorities show up on your doorstep. If a judge has issued a warrant for your arrest, then you need to understand what will be expected of you under the law. It is critical that you contact a Fort Worth/Dallas criminal defense attorney specializing in warrants as soon as you know one has been issued for you or a loved one in the Fort Worth/Dallas area.

Recognizing the Different Kinds of Warrants

The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure defines an arrest warrant as “a written order from a magistrate, directed to a peace officer or some other person specially named, commanding him to take the body of the person accused of an offense, to be dealt with according to law.” A judge is authorized to issue an arrest warrant when presented with probable cause to suspect that an individual has committed a crime. If a warrant has been issued for your arrest, then you can be apprehended at any time in any situation, even if you are innocent of the crime with which you are being charged. The best way to protect yourself is to contact a lawyer who can assist you. There are certain requirements that must be complied with, and a criminal defense lawyer can make sure that the warrant was properly requested and issued and that your constitutional rights are not violated.

A bench warrant is a special warrant issued from the bench or otherwise by the judge. It may be used to compel a witness to come to court, to command someone who has custody of a witness to bring the witness to court, or to bring persons in custody in another location back to court on other charges. Bench warrants have the same force and effect as an arrest warrant, but the procedural requirements for their issue are different. If you suspect that you are being sought on a judge’s order, then call our law firm today to find out what you can do to avoid arrest.

A search warrant is a written order, issued to law enforcement by a magistrate, commanding the officer(s) to search for any property or thing and to seize the same and bring it before such magistrate or commanding law enforcement to search for and photograph a child and to deliver to the magistrate any of the film exposed pursuant to the order. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” If a search warrant for your home, office, car or other property has been issued in the Fort Worth/Dallas area, then contact our firm immediately!

How An Attorney Can Help

Take control of the situation by contacting a criminal defense lawyer who can fight to protect your rights and help you avoid being arrested. If you are concerned that you are the subject of a warrant, then contact our law office today! We can check the necessary registries that may hold information about you. If an arrest warrant has been issued for you in the D/FW area, then we urge you to contact our firm. We can advise you of your legal rights and options and guide you through the legal system as needed.

At The Owens Law Firm, we provide experienced and aggressive representation to clients with the goal of obtaining favorable outcomes to their cases. Contact us today if you have an outstanding arrest warrant, and we will assist you in ensuring your rights are protected and fight to help you avoid needless grief.