A bench warrant can be issued for any person who does not appear for their scheduled court date, even for traffic violations.
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What it is: The Official Code of Georgia Section 17-7-90 defines a bench warrant as a warrant issued by a judge for the arrest of a person accused of a crime by a grand jury or for the arrest of a person charged with a crime who has failed to appear in court. Notice that a bench warrant has been issued may be given in person, at court or by mail.
How it Works: An example of when and where an individual may be arrested due to a bench warrant is a traffic stop. A person stopped for a minor traffic violation could be arrested after the law enforcement officer runs a background check on the person. If the background check shows there is a bench warrant for a failure to appear in court, law enforcement officers may arrest that person. Forgetting to pay for a speeding ticket can also result in a bench warrant for someones arrest.
What Happens: If the traffic stop and bench warrant arrest occurred in two different jurisdictions you may be transferred to the city or county where the warrant was issued.
A Bench Warrant can be the result of a missed court date, unpaid traffic ticket fine, or suspect of a crime.
Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, Anne Bishop, welcomes questions on Criminal Defense and Georgia DUI laws. Please Call or Email us about any questions you may have about GA DUI laws in Georgia and please remember your initial consultation is free of charge.
About the attorney: Anne Bishop is a Georgia Lawyer with A. Bishop Law in Gainesville, Georgia and handles various DUI / DWI, Marijuana Arrests and other Georgia Criminal Defense matters. The law office of A. Bishop Law can assist clients throughout Georgia including: Hall County (Gainesville, Oakwood, Flowery Branch), Jackson County (Jefferson, Braselton) White County (Helen, Cleveland), Lumpkin County (Dahlonega), Dawson County (Dawsonville), Habersham County (Demorest, Cornelia), and all of Northeast Georgia.
This article and/or video should not be considered nor relied upon as legal advice since it is only intended for general overview and informational purposes. Please consult with an attorney on your specific situation in order to determine an appropriate legal course of action.