Law enforcement agents cannot possibly be present whenever someone commits
a crime, or even be there shortly after the crime allegedly takes place.
In many incidents, police officers only catch word that someone allegedly
committed a crime well after the fact. When this happens, the officers
or agents may ask a criminal court to grant them a felony warrant.
Warrants permit the police to seek someone out and place them under arrest
for the suspicion of a crime they allegedly committed. A felony warrant
is simply a warrant issued for a suspected
felony crime. Indeed, many warrants are felony warrants since there is more motivation
for a law enforcement officer to catch an alleged felon than someone who
may have committed a low-level misdemeanor.
Depending on the situation, the law enforcement agency that obtained the
warrant may try to contact the person named in the warrant. By making
them aware that there is an active felony warrant in their name, it might
convince that person to turn themselves in, which will expedite the entire
process and can even put them in a favorable light. However, if the police
think the person may try to escape arrest, they are probably not going
to let them know the warrant exists until they have the individual directly
in front of them.
You should also know that there are no expiration dates on felony warrants.
As soon as a judge issues a warrant, it exists legally until the person
named in the warrant is arrested.
What to Do If You Have a Warrant in Your Name
Have you been notified one way or another that there is a felony warrant
out for your arrest? You will be in an understandably frightening situation.
Knowing law enforcement agents – possibly even federal agents –
want to put you in handcuffs is intimidating. It is crucial you do
not panic and try to run away.
The first thing you should do is talk to a Temecula criminal defense attorney
from Hanson, Gorian, Bradford & Hanich. We can advise you about the
next best course of action, which will likely be turning yourself into
a police station but with our legal professionals by your side. This will
give you an immediate advantage in your case, or possibly even remove
any implication that you have done anything wrong at all.
There is no time to lose if you have already been notified of a felony
warrant in your name.
Call 951.506.6654 at once.