Maryland Warrants – What are the best ways to handle warrants and not get hurt (locked up)?
Bench warrants and Arrest Warrants
There are two kinds of warrants. Bench warrants and arrest warrants. Bench warrants are issued by a judge when you fail to appear in court for a hearing. Arrest warrants are issued by District Court Commissioners when probable cause was found in something illegal that you allegedly did. A judge may preset a bond or let a Commissioner to set your bond in a bench warrant when you turn yourself in or get picked up by the police.
Resolving your Bench Warrant
Catching a free ride in a police car is obviously not the best way to resolve a bench warrant. As soon as you find out you have an outstanding warrant, call a lawyer, preferably our Law Firm (202-455-5610). We have handled hundreds of warrant cases in both Washington, D.C. and Maryland. A lawyer can represent you in front of the Commissioner and argue for release. A bench warrant does not always mean jail. However, if you go in front of a Commissioner without one, and you are deemed a flight risk (because of your failure to appear), a high dollar bond may be set. If you cannot pay for your bond, you will remain in jail for an additional business day for a judge to review the bond amount set by the Commissioner.
Let us Help you
If you need additional time to get the funds together to hire a lawyer but would like to resolve the warrant, let’s first talk strategy. Some jurisdictions are congested with arrests and cases and it may take a while to process a walk-in warrant. For example, (*so I have heard* – wink wink – some people have waited as long as 48 to 72 hours in the jail facility in Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County, MD. If you have a job to go to on Monday and you turn yourself in on Friday, you could still be sitting at the jail waiting to be processed on Sunday night). Unless your warrant is a Violation of Probation (which the bond is set by a judge), you could turn yourself in any counties within Maryland and appear before a Commissioner. The Commissioner will then set bond and/or release conditions.
The best strategy to resolve a warrant is to call a lawyer and be represented before you give yourself up. I can help you to file a Motion to Recall the Warrant which may negate the need to even turn yourself in, if granted by a judge. There is no guarantee that a judge will grant such motion. But it beats going to the Sheriff’s Office or a Commissioner’s Station by yourself.
If you have an outstanding warrant, call our Law Firm at (202) 455-5610 for a free telephone consultation. We will take the stress out and handle your case from start to finish. We offer payment plans and cash discounts in select cases. We handle warrant cases in Washington, D.C., Prince George’s County, Charles County, Calvert County, St. Mary’s County, Montgomery County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County.
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