It’s inevitable for you to feel panicked if you hear that the cops are looking for you, especially if there’s a warrant out for your arrest. When a judge issues an arrest warrant, they authorize law enforcement to arrest you and bring you to court based on probable cause that you were involved in a crime. Police officers establish probable cause when they have substantial evidence that gives them a reason to believe that you’ve committed a crime; however, what happens when your arrest warrant has yet to be fulfilled?
This is referred to as an outstanding arrest warrant. This type of warrant is a valid and active arrest warrant that could’ve been issued months or possibly years ago by a local, state, or federal court that has yet to be fulfilled by law enforcement. There are several reasons why an arrest warrant may have not been attended to. For example, an officer may have been unable to locate you at the residency that’s on file, or you moved and were unable to receive your notice.
To help protect yourself from being arrested at any given moment, you should consult with an experienced criminal defense lawyer to find out the details of your outstanding arrest warrant. If you are arrested with an outstanding warrant against you, the penalties could change the course of your life. Contact your criminal defense lawyer immediately to start building the best defense strategy to eliminate, or at the very least, reduce the charges against you. At The Umansky Law Firm, our criminal defense lawyers are available 24/7 to offer a free consultation.
There are many ways to find out whether you have an outstanding arrest warrant. The process may differ depending on the specific jurisdiction that issued your warrant.
In the State of Florida, you can visit the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE) public access system, which will give you access to warrants issued all throughout the state. In Orange County specifically, you can check to see if you have a local outstanding warrant against you in two ways:
Each of these resources requires you to input personal information to access the records against you, along with any case numbers that could be tied to the warrant. For federal search warrants, you may have to contact the Federal Clerk of Court’s office directly.
The criminal penalties of an outstanding arrest warrant depend entirely on the charges you face and the reasons why the warrant was issued. Some common arrest warrants include:
The worst consequence of an outstanding arrest warrant is that, if you are caught, you will immediately be taken to jail and could be tried on the initial felony or misdemeanor offense that was stated on the warrant plus additional consequences for failure to appear. The matter could be more severe if you were alleged to have been evading police to avoid arrest.
There may be several defenses you can utilize against an outstanding arrest warrant, but to make sure that you do not further implicate yourself, you should hire a trusted criminal defense lawyer that can guide you through the criminal process. Being arrested and being found guilty of a crime are two different things; therefore, to defend yourself against the charges, discuss your options with a criminal defense lawyer in Orlando.
You can trust The Umansky Law Firm to work diligently in constructing a defense to resolve your outstanding warrant or other charges you may have. We have more than 100 years of combined experience representing individuals across Central Florida and have helped countless clients take back control of their lives. Don’t let your life be defined by one mistake you made. Hire our highly rated lawyers to represent you. Schedule a free consultation by calling our office or contact us.
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