What do I do if there is a warrant out for my arrest in Tampa, Florida?



What do I do if there is a warrant out for my arrest in Florida?

As officers of the court, attorneys cannot ethically tell you not to abide by a warrant for your arrest and turn yourself in. The reason you need an attorney if there is a warrant out for your arrest, is that an attorney may be able to arrange it so that you do not have to go to jail or so that you will spend as little time as possible in jail following being arrested on the warrant.

If you have a warrant with no bond, we can arrange it so that you are given a court date where you surrender to the Judge assigned to your case. The Judge can then set a reasonable bond and you may be able to bond out that day. If your bond is excessively high, we can also do the same thing by setting a court date and requesting that the court lower your bond to a reasonable amount, which you may be able to afford. Of course, in both circumstances you will still have to go to jail to be booked but you might be able to bond out that day.

If you have a warrant for missing court, we can again do the same thing and if the Judge sees that you now have an attorney and there was a good reason why you missed court, you will not have to go to jail at all. The Judge will dismiss the warrant and set your case for further hearings.

If you just ignore a warrant or decide not to turn yourself in, you will eventually be arrested and will then have to wait your turn to see your Judge. If you contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer who knows what to do in the case of an outstanding warrant you will have much better odds of not spending more than a day in jail.

Written by

Ray Lopez has practiced since 1990, with prior experience as a Hillsborough County assistant State attorney and lawyer for the Tampa Police Department. He handles all criminal charges, from traffic violations and misdemeanors to serious felonies and federal drug charges. He practices in all state and federal courts of the Tampa Bay area and throughout Florida, as well as criminal appeals, juvenile court, administrative hearings, and civil forfeiture proceedings.

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