What's a Bench Warrant?
Here's a mnemonic device to start you off: A "bench warrant" usually means someone didn't have their backside on the bench when they should have. That's the bench in front of the judge, not the one from which you feed the park pigeons.
Speaking more technically, a bench warrant is issued by a judge when a defendant violates the rules of the court. Most often, the defendant has simply failed to show up. Once a bench warrant is issued, however, the police can treat it like any other arrest warrant -- and use it to bring the defendant back in front of the judge.
Continue Reading Permalink 0 Comments