Outstanding Warrants

Warrants are serious matters that can have negative consequences if not dealt with properly. Outstanding warrants hang over people like a black cloud. An outstanding warrant for a person gives police officers the ability to arrest that person when the officers comes into contact with him or her for any reason. A routine traffic stop can result in arrest if the police officer finds that you have an outstanding warrant.

Warrants are issued for many different reasons. A bench warrant can be issued for missing a court date or violating a court order, such as failing to pay child support. A bench warrant is an order written by a judge or magistrate that orders police officers to arrest a person and bring him or her before the court to answer for violating a court order.

Anyone with an outstanding warrant needs an experienced attorney on his or her side. An attorney can help you remove the order, which will allow you to avoid jail time and other penalties. Numerous penalties can be associated with having an outstanding warrant, such as not being able to renew your driver’s license. Also, if you are arrested in another state with an outstanding warrant in Massachusetts, you can be held in the other state as a fugitive from justice until Massachusetts dismisses the warrant or has you extradited to Massachusetts to answer in front of the court. Having a lawyer on your side to help you address the outstanding warrant before you incur one of these penalties is obviously preferable.

A warrant cannot be vacated until the defendant is before the court either personally, or through counsel to answer for the charges, no matter how long has passed since the defendant defaulted. Additionally, there are other penalties imposed on defendants when they are before the court for default warrants, such as fines and a forfeiture of any bail that the defendant had been out on at the time of his default. Also, if the defendant is given a bail amount at his next court appearance, it will likely be higher than the previous amount since the defendant now has a default on his record.

A bench warrant may have serious and long-lasting impacts on a person. However, having a skilled Massachusetts outstanding warrant lawyer on your side can help you take care of the issue in the best way for you. A lawyer can negotiate on your behalf with prosecutors and advocate for you in front of the court. A lawyer may persuade the court to remove the outstanding warrant or to reduce the penalties and fees associated with the warrant.

If you or a loved one has an outstanding warrant, it is in your best interest to contact a Massachusetts outstanding warrant attorney. Attorney Cappetta worked as a prosecutor before he became a Massachusetts criminal defense attorney. Therefore, he has intimate knowledge of how prosecutors and courts deal with outstanding warrants. He offers all potential clients a free consultation so contact him today.