Arrest warrants are issued when someone has committed an offense of any kind. A judge will issue a warrant for arrest through the court and will pass it on the deputy sheriff. Then, the police take these individuals into custody as necessary. If you think you are going to be charged with a crime, including something like possession with intent to deliver or a DUI, it might be a good idea to get ahead of the police and try to handle the warrant by yourself. However, you may not want to do that before talking to a lawyer.
Arrest warrants are not search warrants, contrary to popular belief. A search warrant simply allows a certain item to be searched for at a specific place for an amount of time. If an item is not listed in the search warrant and the item was not in plain sight, it cannot be taken into police custody. An arrest warrant, on the other hand, does not allow law enforcement to search an area. They are able to enter a residence freely and with force, but only when necessary.
What Are Bench Warrants?
A bench warrant is a form of an arrest warrant that serves the court. This means that if someone is out on bail but does not appear at his or her assigned court date, a bench warrant for arrest can be issued directly from the judge. This is a very serious situation and can have implications that go deeper than the original charge.
A bench warrant typically means additional charges for not appearing in court.
How to Confirm A Nebraska Warrant
There are search engines online that allow people to search the arrest warrant database, typically for a nominal cost. Some areas will have “Most Wanted” sections where you can see warrants. Most often, people will know whether or not they have warrants, but some people can be blindsided at times.
However, the most common way to confirm a Nebraska arrest warrant is to go to the County Sheriff’s Office on a weekday. Note that if you have an outstanding warrant, it is likely that you will get arrested on the spot.
If you are requesting the warrant status on someone else, you may need to know the following information about the person:
- addresses
- telephone number(s)
- vehicle(s), with description to include license state & number
- associate(s), to include family, friends, acquaintances, & roommates
- employer(s)
If you are wanted on an outstanding warrant, it is best to reach out to a lawyer and then turn yourself in on his or her advice.
What To Do If You Have A Warrant
If you know that you have missed a court appearance or you believe that there has been a warrant issued against you, you may put yourself through the wringer with the wait and worry associated with your predicament. Consult with an attorney to have the best chance to avoid going to jail.
When you take the warrant to the police and you have proper representation, you may be able to appear at an arraignment instead of getting taken into custody on the warrant. The court may be willing to work with you to schedule a hearing to address the bench warrant before the arrest occurs. At the very least, your attorney may be able to arrange it so that you can turn yourself into the booking area of the jail rather than getting picked up by the police.
An experienced attorney will know how to handle an arrest warrant, will be able to tell you about the law in Nebraska, and can help you to move forward through the legal system - no matter why you have a warrant. If you did not appear in court, a lawyer can help you to explain why you failed to appear and fight to keep you out of jail.
Contact drug defense attorney Daniel Stockmann today for more information about how you can protect yourself and stand up for your rights if you have a warrant in Nebraska. Call Stockmann Law at (402) 884-1031.
