The first and the best thing to do if there’s a warrant for your arrest is to turn yourself in. This way, the court will know that you are a responsible person and the chances for a bail hearing is higher. While it can be hard to walk straight into the hands of law enforcement officers, it is necessary because it can save you a lot of problems in the future. 

If you are in this situation and don’t know what to do, below are some helpful tips on what to do when there’s a warrant for your arrest.  

Talk To A Lawyer

Although turning yourself to the police is the first thing to do in this situation, you should talk to criminal defense lawyers at Patrick B. Courtney, P.A. before that. It is the job of your lawyer to contact the police and make necessary arrangements for you to turn yourself in. 

Prepare To Turn Yourself In

Before going to the authorities, you should write down the names and phone numbers of friends, family, or anyone who can be a surety for you. This will make things easier if you get jailed after turning yourself in. Remember you are not allowed to take personal property with you. 

Know Your Rights

Before turning yourself in you should know your right and know about what the police can or cannot do. The police are only allowed to keep you in their custody if there’s a warrant for your arrest for a few hours. After 24 hours, the police must either let you leave or bring you before a justice of the peace or a judge. They must do this as soon as possible and not cause a delay to your bail hearing. 

Warrants From Out-of-town

In the case where the warrant for your arrest is not from the city where you live,  and you intend on pleading guilty, you can do two things. The first is to surrender to your local police and ask that the charges be transferred to the city where you reside. The other step is to go to the city that issued the warrant for your arrest and turn yourself in. 

In a situation where you plead not guilty, your resident city’s police are likely to hand you over to the city with the warrant. 

Finally, you should know that after a warrant is issued, the police can arrest you anywhere they find you. Depending on your response, they can even force their way into your home. They are also not obligated to bring along a physical copy of your arrest warrant but need to prove that they are legally informed of its existence. Contacting a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible can help you prevent problems that can affect your bail hearing or release in the future.