How to Clear an Arrest Warrant

Certain offenses can result in a warrant for one’s arrest being issued. Oftentimes, these warrants are not served right away for one reason or another. Those who have an outstanding warrant need to take measures to clear it in order to avoid greater consequences from occurring later on.

Confirming Rumors

Individuals will sometimes hear rumors of an arrest warrant, but they do not know whether the rampant rumors are true. In many cases, it is possible to search online for outstanding warrants via a number of databases. If this information is not available in a given area, individuals can sometimes pay a bail bondsman or attorney to obtain this information for them. Visiting a police station in person in order to inquire is not recommended, as defendants will likely be arrested on the spot.

Write Down the Details

If a preliminary search does reveal an arrest warrant, it’s important to write down some information about it before proceedings. Individuals should obtain the following information and keep it handy:

• The type of criminal offense
• When the warrant was issued
• The issuing agency
• The date of the alleged offense
• Any details surrounding the offense
• The type of case (include whether or not it includes probation revocation)

If an arrest warrant was located online, it might be possible to print this information and have it readily available instead.

Courses of Action

Once information about an arrest warrant has been obtained, there are two different courses of action that may be taken. The first is to contact the court directly about the warrant. This might be acceptable in cases where the warrant is due to minor offenses such as traffic citations. In other cases, the crime may be more serious in nature, which means it would be in one’s best interest to contact a criminal defense attorney instead. Of course, this means the issue still needs to be addressed with the court system. However, an attorney can give a client advice on how to conduct himself at a court hearing. The lawyer may even accompany the individual to the courthouse.

Arrest warrants can often be cleared without an individual being taken into custody. The exact steps taken by law enforcement will vary based upon the nature of the offense in question.

If you have recently discovered that there is an issued warrant for your arrest, talk to Houston criminal lawyer Shahin Zamir at 713-223-8900 to find out how he can help you avoid more serious legal consequences.