By Attorney James Czarnecki|Czarnecki & Taylor PLLC|NOV 2, 2022
Do you have a Macomb County Michigan bench warrant for your arrest?
When people face minor charges or traffic tickets, they may be tempted to skip the court date. Others may have missed the court date by forgetting to appear for court. Despite a person’s intention, Michigan courts do not look favorably on someone who fails to appear for a court hearing. When you miss a court date, the judge will issue a bench warrant to force you to appear. If you believe that a Macomb County court issued a bench warrant for your arrest, you should find a Macomb County bench warrant attorney.
When you receive a notice for a court date, you have to take it seriously. As explained, your failure to appear for your scheduled court date will cause the judge to issue out a bench warrant for your arrest. Bench warrants are a court order from authorizing the police to arrest you. While bench warrants can be issued a variety of reasons, most of the time bench warrants are issued because people fail to appear for a court hearing. Sometimes, people do not know that they have an active bench warrant until they are stopped by the police.
Judges can issue bench warrants for failure to appear in court, probation violations, positive drug or alcohol tests, unpaid fines and costs. Whatever the reason, once a court issues a bench warrant, it does not expire until the warrant is cleared.
Bench warrants, or any warrant, will cause problems for you during traffic stops, airport security, etc. Essentially, you have to worry about being arrested and taken to jail at any time.
What is the difference between a bench warrant and arrest warrant?
Bench warrants differ from arrest warrants because the person is not wanted for a new crime. Instead, they are “wanted” because they failed to appear for a court hearing or probation violation. With a bench warrant, the police will not search for someone like they would for a person wanted for a crime. However, if a police officer stops you for a traffic violation and finds an active bench warrant through LEIN, they are authorized to arrest you immediately.
Sometimes, the police sit behind people in traffic and run their license plates, looking for warrants. It is getting easier for law enforcement to access this information. For example, police cars are now equipped with an automatic plate reading computers. In Macomb County, the police have installed plate readers on the side of the road.
If you missed a court date and had to be arrested, the court may forfeit your bond. During the arraignment on the bench warrant, the court can increase your bond and require additional money to be paid to the court. However, if you can provide the court with a valid reason for missing the court date, the judge may not forfeit your bond.
Defenses to a bench warrant.
An experienced Macomb County bench warrant attorney can argue that you should not be penalized because you didn’t show up for court. Depending on the individual circumstances of your case, it may be possible to argue that there were extenuating circumstances or mitigating factors that led to your failure to appear. For example, if you missed your court date due to an unforeseen illness or other emergency, you may be able to convince the judge that you had no choice but to miss your court appearance. Alternatively, you might be able to demonstrate that you had no intention of skipping out on your obligations and simply made a mistake that caused you not to attend your scheduled hearing.
If the court accepts the reasons, the judge can reinstate your bond without the payment of additional money.
How to clear your Michigan bench warrant.
The only way to clear a bench warrant is to appear in court and defend yourself against the reason the court issued the warrant. You should always consult with an experienced attorney to find the best way to get a bench warrant dropped without going to jail or facing additional costs. Also, it is always better to voluntarily appear in court with an attorney to answer for the bench warrant. The court will appreciate that you acted responsibly and did not try to evade the court.
Czarnecki and Taylor attorneys can help you with your warrants
If you have an outstanding bench warrant, you’re probably wondering what to do next. You could turn yourself in and go through the legal process alone. Maybe you don’t know how to find a qualified attorney to help you with your bench warrant. We understand how stressful it can be to find an attorney. If this is your situation, look no further.
At Czarnecki & Taylor, we want to make it easy for you to get the help you need right now. Our experienced criminal defense attorneys are here to provide you with high-quality representation at affordable flat rates. We always offer free consultations so that our clients can feel confident about their decision before they hire us as their defense lawyers in Macomb County, Michigan.
When people come into our office after finding out that the court issued a bench warrant for their arrest, they often tell us how relieved they are just knowing someone will take care of everything from there on out – including getting them back home safely without having to spend any more time behind bars than necessary. That’s why we work hard every day on behalf of all our clients – because we truly believe everyone deserves excellent legal representation no matter what kind of situation they find themselves in or how much money they have available to pay an attorney’s fees up front or not. So if a bench warrant has been issued against you in Macomb, Wayne and Oakland counties, call Czarnecki & Taylor.
At Czarnecki & Taylor, we have experience handling every type of Michigan criminal charge. Whether you have been charged with a misdemeanor or a serious felony, our experienced attorneys will work tirelessly to advocate and help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case. One thing that sets Czarnecki & Taylor apart from other firms is our ability to handle complex cases that require specialized knowledge and experience. Our firm’s impressive track record for success and aggressive Michigan criminal defense is unparalleled for achieving exceptional results. Czarnecki & Taylor has a well-earned reputation among judges, courts, city attorneys, prosecutors, police, and other defense attorneys for defending our clients.
Our team of attorneys accepts clients throughout Macomb, Oakland, County and Wayne counties. For example in Macomb County, we provide extensive coverage in the following courts:
- 37th District Court (Warren and Centerline)
- 38th District Court (Eastpointe)
- 39 District Court (Roseville, Fraser)
- 41A District Court (Sterling Heights Division)
- 41A District Court (Shelby Twp, Utica, Macomb Township)
- 41B District Court (Clinton Twp, Mount Clemens, Harrison Township)
- 42-1 District Court (Romeo, Washington Township, Richmond)
- 42-2 District Court (Chesterfield Twp, New Baltimore, New Haven, Lenox)
- Macomb County Circuit Court
If you have a warrant in these courts you should hire a Macomb County bench warrant attorney. We have over 20 years of experience defending people just like you from all kinds of criminal charges including homicide, drinking and driving offenses, domestic violence, possession of a controlled substance, retail fraud, among many others. See our areas of practice and case results.
Additional Resources.
Michigan State Police | Online Services – Michigan State website providing information for arrest warrants. The MSP website allows you to use ICHAT (Internet Criminal History Tool) to see if a bench warrant or arrest warrant has been issued by a court.
Our other articles regarding arrest warrants:
How to find out if you have a Michigan warrant
Why you should take care of your warrant right away
Michigan warrants do not expire
How to properly take care of your warrant
Contact Czarnecki & Taylor
Czarnecki & Taylor’s experienced attorneys will handle your case with care and help you through every step of the process. For a free consultation, call us today at (586) 718-2345 or online for a prompt response. We are available 24/7 and have weekend and evening appointments.