What Should I Do if There is a Warrant Out for My Arrest?

December 12, 2013  |  Adriel B. Villarreal

An arrest warrant is a serious situation that deserves your immediate attention. You could be found and arrested at any time, even if the police haven’t visited your home yet.
If you learn of a warrant before your arrest you should call a criminal defense attorney immediately. An attorney can advise you on your next steps.
You should not leave this issue unaddressed. Every day that you allow a warrant to pass unanswered becomes a day that makes your situation much more serious. You begin to look more and more like a fugitive. When caught, you will be considered a flight risk.
This is even true for very old warrants. A warrant for your arrest doesn’t just go away. Once one has been issued there’s no statute of limitations on it. Old legal problems are just as important for you to deal with as new ones. You could be picked up at a traffic stop at any time.
The attorney may be able to find options you didn’t even know that you had, so long as you work with him before you are caught. After you are caught your options become far more limited.
While it’s true that an attorney may want you to turn yourself in he can do this in a way that helps you make your case better. You’ll also have his help from the start of the case all the way to its conclusion. There will be no doubt that you have representation on your side.
Your impulse may be to run or to keep running when there’s a warrant out for your arrest. Unfortunately, that’s the worst thing you can do. Instead, contact the criminal attorneys at BGS. We have worked as Minneapolis-area prosecutors, defenders, and public defenders for the past 75 years, and we have the experience that you need to begin facing this serious situation.