Do You Have an Outstanding
Warrant for your Arrest in Virginia?
Our Attorneys Can Help Your Clear It Up Before it's too Late!
A warrant for your arrest is a ticking time bomb in this day and age
of computerized data sharing.
If you skipped a court date, or
violated your probation, a bench warrant for your arrest was issued
by a judge for failure to appear in court. The police
may not be out actively looking for you, but any traffic stop or contact
with the police will end with you being arrested.
And with the new license plate scanners being used by police officers
deployed in cruisers nationwide, you can be scanned, linked by a DMV and
criminal database, flagged, and arrested in minutes. Just for driving
down the street, legally!
This technology is getting more advanced all the time, and there
isn't much you can do you to stop it.
Your best bet is to get in front of the problem, before you get
stopped. Once you are arrested, you will lose whatever negotiating
leverage you have in fixing your arrest warrant.
What Happens if I’ve been charged with a crime and I don’t show up
to court?
You will be charged with the crime of Failure to Appear.
Under Virginia law, this is a crime in addition to the crime with
which you were originally charged.
In order to convict you of Failure to Appear, the Commonwealth must
prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the person:
- Was charged with a felony or misdemeanor offense; or
- Was convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense and was
awaiting sentencing; and
- Willfully failed to appear before the court.
If the underlying charge is a felony, then the individual will be
charged with a Class 6 felony.
If the underlying charge is a misdemeanor, then the individual will
be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.
See: Failure to Appear – Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-128
Can I Get a Criminal Warrant Removed, and My Record Cleared?
Yes, in many cases, this is possible. If you made a mistake in
missing a court date, or live far away and were unable to travel back,
some Virginia courts and judges may be agreeable to clearing the warrant
if you agree to appear promptly.
I Live Out of State - Can You Help Me Clear a Virginia Arrest
Warrant without me present?
Maybe. It depends on the seriousness of the charges, and how old they
are. Please call us to discuss your situation, and we'll let you know if
we can help.
I have an Outstanding Virginia Warrant from many years ago. Will it
Expire? What is the Statute of Limitations?
No, quite the opposite. An old warrant, even from decades ago can
show up anytime. Especially with more and more law enforcement agencies
networking there computer databases with tighter national security
coordination, you could be arrested in California for a Virginia warrant
that suddenly pops up online.
But the good news with old cases of failure to appear or criminal
warrants is that, if you are proactive, you have a good chance to get
the warrant removed and the case dismissed.
With old cases, evidence and witnesses disappear, and they simply may
no longer to be able to prove the case against you. And if the DA agrees
to drop the charges, there is no case against you, and the warrant is
cleared.
Are Virginia Outstanding Warrant Listings Online?
Most are not online for public search, with the exception of the
Newport News police department. It is not clear how wide ranging
that database is.
Free Consultation on Failure to Appear in Court or Outstanding
Criminal/Bench Warrants in Virginia
If you are wanted by a court in Virginia, you should act as quickly
as possible to resolve the matter. Let our Virginia criminal defense
attorneys handle the case in court, and work to clear your record. We
can help you remove the threat of arrest hanging over your head. So call
us now for a free consultation on your situation, and we'll tell you
what we can do to help. Contact us or call (866) 382-8646.
If you are out of state or out of the country, we may be able to help
you resolve the matter without a court appearance.
We look forward to helping you.
- The attorneys of VaCriminalDefenseLawyer.com
Proudly defending our clients across Northern Virginia,
including the Counties of Prince William, Fairfax, Fauquier,
Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Spotsylavnia, Warrenton,
Culpeper, Hanover, Caroline, and the cities of Manassas, Manassas
Park, Haymarket, Dumfries, Quantico, and Vienna, VA, Central
Virginia, including the Richmond, VA Metro area, and Southeastern
Virginia, including Norfolk.
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