A bench warrant is a legal order issued by a judge, authorizing an arrest. Bench warrants and alias capias (felony bench warrants) may be issued in Florida for several reasons, including:

• Failure to appear at a previous court date
• Unpaid traffic tickets
• Failure to comply with a court order, including an order to pay child support
• Probation violations

Many people arrested for a bench warrant had no idea the warrant existed until they were put into handcuffs and taken away. This is unfortunate, because they will almost certainly spend some time in jail -- without bail -- before they can deal with the underlying legal problem. In addition to being unpleasant, this can have extremely negative consequences when you can’t show up to work, take care of family or meet other obligations. And of course, they are subject to the penalties for the underlying matter, which could mean more jail time, probation, steep fines and more.

In Florida, courts may issue a driver’s license suspension (D-6 suspension), instead of a bench warrant, for people who fail to appear or comply with a court order. Again, affected drivers frequently don’t realize there is any problem until they are pulled over for an unrelated reason, then arrested for driving with a suspended license. The license will not be reinstated until the driver takes care of the underlying legal problem, making it essential to get in touch with a West Palm Beach criminal defense attorney as soon as you realize there’s a problem. For more information, please see our pages on traffic tickets and Florida DUI/DWI.

To avoid these severe consequences for matters as small as an unpaid speeding ticket, clients should contact a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer as soon as they realize there’s a bench warrant out for their arrest. The South Florida criminal defense law firm of Balliro can help. If we get involved before any arrest, we may be able to negotiate for no charges at all, or for you to turn yourself in and avoid a catastrophic arrest. Our Miami criminal defense attorneys can also help untangle the legal matters you face, allowing you to take care of the underlying problem with the least effect possible on your job, your family and your life.

If a bench warrant has been issued for you or someone you love, you should contact the Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorneys at Balliro as soon as possible. With more than a decade of experience in Florida criminal defense law, we can move quickly to get -- or keep -- clients out of jail, protect their rights from law enforcement overreaching and ensure that the warrant won’t harm the people and things they care about most. Balliro is available to clients 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, so we will be there for you no matter when you need us. And we offer free, confidential face-to-face consultations to potential clients. To set one up, call us toll-free from anywhere in Florida at 1-866-ARRESTED or contact us online.