Bench Warrant

A bench warrant is a warrant issued by a judge to arrest a defendant when they violate the rules of the court or do not comply with a court order. A judge will issue a bench warrant if they have "personal knowledge of the contempt which instigated the warrant." A bench warrant differs from an arrest warrant, which is initiated by a law enforcement officer after someone has been named as the alleged perpetrator in a crime.

If you have missed a court date or suspect a judge has issued a bench warrant you can call the clerk of the court's office for more information. Explain that you would like to present yourself to the court and obtain an order from the court to repeal a bench warrant. If the bench warrant is in place only a short amount of time, and if you have a reasonable explanation for missing your court date, the administrative assistant is likely to make arrangements for you to appear in person at the judge's office. In some cases you will need to talk to a criminal lawyer.