Having a warrant out for your arrest can be an incredibly stressful event. However, it can be resolved without you getting arrested. First, there are two things that you must NOT do: 1) Don’t panic, panicking will only lead you to do things that will make your situation worse, and 2) Don’t ignore the warrant, ignoring it will definitely lead to your situation getting worse and eventually getting arrested. You should know that once there is an arrest warrant issued for you, there is no Statute of Limitations on this warrant. The reason for this is because the court has determined there is enough evidence to show that you are guilty of this crime. So it is imperative that you do not ignore this warrant. Do not worry though, there is a simple process to get this warrant taken care of without you getting arrested.

First find out the details of your warrant. You can do this by searching online databases (some may charge a fee), contact either a law enforcement officer (though this may lead to you getting arrested), a bail bondsman, or the courthouse (but they may be unable to give you all of the required information over the phone).

Some of these details include:

• the type of warrant issued
• when it was issued
• the name of the accused
• the date of the crime
• the nature of the crime
• case type
• date of conviction, sentencing, probation (if applicable)
• any fines

Once you have obtained this information, then you should contact a Philadelphia criminal lawyer to help you with the final steps to resolve this. You can also contact a Philadelphia criminal lawyer to help you research the warrant. Your lawyer will help you find out the specific details of your warrant. They can then determine the best course of action for you to get this situation resolved. They may also be able to get the warrant recalled, but that all depends on the nature of the crime and warrant. To resolve the warrant in your favor, may require just a fine or it may be a hearing, the point is that your lawyer has found the best solution for you. Just remember that you have the greatest chance of success if you contact the lawyer before you get arrested. Once arrested, your options become severely limited.

Now remember, there may be some unforeseen events that may happen in the course of you trying to resolve this warrant. So if you have to go to a hearing, your Philadelphia criminal lawyer may recommend that you make some arrangements with a bail bondsman to ensure that a bond is settled, and also bring someone that you trust to help tie up any loose ends. These loose ends may be things such as taking care of your vehicle and ensuring that your job and family know what happened.

Just make sure that you follow your lawyer’s advice, because they are there to look after your best interests. If you don’t then, you could be found in contempt of court or even a flight risk, which means that your circumstances have become worse, this could lead to jail time depending on the offense.

As you can see, resolving an arrest warrant, without getting arrested, can be done rather simply. All you have to do is remain calm, acknowledge your warrant, and follow these simple steps.

An arrest usually happens before a person is charged. After someone is arrested, he will accompany the officers to the police station where documentation of the events following the arrest and questioning take place. In normal circumstances, the police will set the ground rules that govern how the post-arrest proceedings will take place.

What Are Your Rights When Arrested?

According to the federal laws, a person who has been arrested has the right to free legal representation. However, other countries do not have a provision for this kind of right. Therefore, you need to consult with a legal profession if you are arrested in a foreign country. A person who is arrested should be allowed to contact his family or anybody he is close to via a phone call or a text message. One is also entitled to a medical attention. The police should ensure that the individual knows his or her rights first before anything else.

Questioning

The 5th Amendment of the Constitution gives an individual the right to remain silent. This means there will be no any repercussion when he fails to answer a police officer or any other interrogator. In case one decides to talk, he should be careful because any word he says can be used against him in court. The police and the prosecutors are cunning. They have the skills to turn someone’s words against him and make it look like he is on the wrong. A person should protect himself by asking for a lawyer or bailing out immediately.

How to Bail Out

One can get out of jail after an arrest via a bail. A bail consists of cash or any other property that has value. A bail shows that the individual arrested has promised to return to court in exchange for money or a property that has a cash value. A person must ask the police on duty about his bail amount. One must sign a document that shows that he has promised to appear in court at the indicated time.

Apart from a bail, one can be released based on his Own Recognizance. A person can request one at his first court appearance. The judge may give an O.R if the person has close family members or a job in the community. A person can also qualify if he does not have any criminal history and have a good track record of appearing in court.

Contacting a Lawyer

One can contact a lawyer after or before bailing out. A lawyer is critical when a person is convicted of serious crimes such as murder, DUI after buying alcohol from a liquor store, theft of gemstones, rape or robbery with violence. The lawyer has a strong understanding of the legal provisions required to protect the person against harassment by the law enforcement officials. However, one must determine whether he can afford a lawyer or not. He can ask friends and family members to recommend one. The US government guarantees everyone who cannot afford a lawyer free legal representation. The court will appoint a lawyer to help. One can also contact a public defender to help with the case. A public defender is a trained lawyer who has the interest of the people convicted of a crime at heart. They do not work for the court like some people think.

Arraignment in Court

The US Constitution requires law enforcement agencies to take someone to court between four and eight hours after he has been arrested. However, the law allows the authorities to keep someone in custody over the weekend until Monday. During an arraignment, someone can plead guilty or not. The outcome of the proceedings will depend on how the lawyer presents his case. It also depends on whether the person convicted of the crime pleads guilty or not.

If you have ever followed a court case from start to finish, you may have noticed that a case begins in front of a grand jury. Witnesses are called to give testimony or to provide other evidence that may help to prove that a crime was committed or there is reason to believe a crime was committed. After hearing testimony, grand jurors will deliberate and determine if a case should move forward.

There Is No Determination of Guilt or Innocence

A grand jury is not tasked with determining if a defendant is guilty or innocent. Instead, it is tasked with figuring out whether or not there is enough evidence to take the case to trial. If there is not sufficient evidence, it is likely that a case will be dropped. It is also possible that a prosecutor will try again to indict a defendant on different charges.

Indictments are Much Easier Than Convictions

Sol Wachtler once said that you could “indict a ham sandwich if you wanted to.” What he meant was that it is relatively easy to get an indictment even if there is little to no chance of getting a conviction at trial. Basically, the grand jury is only looking to see if there is any evidence to believe that a crime may have been committed. In some cases, prosecutors don’t divulge all of their evidence at the grand jury level.

Grand Juries are Run By the Prosecution

As there is no determination of guilt or innocence by a grand jury, the normal rules of presenting evidence don’t apply. At a grand jury hearing, there is no judge present, and the session is run under a cloak of secrecy. Furthermore, the jury selection process is much different than the one that occurs before a formal trial. Instead of having 12 members, a grand jury may consist of up to 23 people. They are also not screened for any real or perceived biases, which may also aid the prosecution in getting the indictment that they seek.

The Defense Is Not Allowed To Be Present

Legal counsel for a defendant or potential witness in a case cannot be present in a grand jury room. At best, they are allowed to remain just outside of the room to provide counsel before a witness testifies. Furthermore, lawyers for the defendant or other witnesses cannot offer evidence of their own during the grand jury process. This has led some people to believe that the grand jury process may be outdated or may be a tool to suppress political or other freedoms granted to all under the law.

If an individual has been indicted by a grand jury, it doesn’t mean that his or her case is over. Instead, it means that he or she will need to prepare to settle the case before trial or try to win an acquittal at trial. Those who have been charged with a crime or may be charged in the future may wish to seek out legal counsel as soon as possible to protect their rights under the law.

The court system can be difficult to understand. One example of this is what makes a certain crime a misdemeanor while another is a felony charge? Here, we will look at what a felony is and the difference between the two.

Differences between misdemeanors and felonies

A misdemeanor is a crime that is committed of a less serious nature. For example, theft is considered a misdemeanor. These are of the non-violent nature but are still against the law. More common misdemeanors are trespassing, vandalism and public drunkenness. If you’re charged with a misdemeanor, you’ll receive a fine and may be sentenced to jail for less than a year.

Felony crimes are of a more serious nature and can either be violent or non-violent. The difference between a non-violent crime being a misdemeanor or a felony is someone usually ends up hurt, but the hurt doesn’t have to be physical. It could affect their life in a drastic way. One example of this is driving under the influence. You may not have an accident, but you have put people in danger. Another would be selling alcohol to minors. You haven’t physically inflicted pain but have put the minor and others in danger.

Some forms of felony can be thought of as intent to hurt someone. A good example of this is you know you are HIV positive and don’t let your sex partner know. You have just possibly given them a fatal disease. You could have prevented this by telling them and letting them make the choice, but because you didn’t, you have caused them a horrible fate.

A person given a felony conviction may have fines and will serve at least a year in a prison facility. They won’t spend that time in a local jail. Fines and punishment are much stiffer for felony convictions than for misdemeanors.

Felony charges vs. felony arrests

Just because you are charged with a felony doesn’t necessarily mean you will be convicted of that felony. An arrest is brought when an officer feels there is good reason. If there is a reasonable doubt, the arrest will never turn into a charge and won’t go on your public record. This will be decided in a formal court hearing. If the charge is brought and the individual is found guilty, the felony charge then becomes a felony conviction.

A person’s life after a felony conviction

When given a felony conviction, a person is basically given a life sentence meaning that conviction will follow and affect them for the rest of their lives. They can’t vote or own a weapon. They are usually required to report to a probation officer or parole officer. They can have trouble finding decent housing or decent employment.

A good criminal attorney knows how to handle felony charges. He can possibly work your case for a lesser sentence or get your felony expunged. Expunged means the felony will be removed from your criminal record. This varies from state to state and depends on your age. They can also help you appeal your case to a higher court which is a difficult process that you shouldn’t encounter alone.

Overall

If you find yourself in a situation where you may be facing felony charges, you need an experienced criminal attorney on your side. A felony conviction will haunt you for the rest of your life, and you don’t want that. Give us a call today so we can immediately begin working on your case and get your life back in order.

SKA Law Group handles all types of cases, ranging from simple misdemeanors to complex felonies and white collar crimes. Regardless of whether it’s a DUI/DWI, or a complex homicide case – we can help. In the event of a DUI/DWI, we can help you get your car back, or you can get a new car from car lease companies like Zooomr. Take a risk free consultation today in order to learn more about what your options are, and what we can do for you.