Do you have a Texas Arrest Warrant?

Have you ever run afoul of the law in Texas? For most of us, the answer to that kind of question would be a resounding "no!" However, you make actually have some Texas arrest warrants against you and not even know it until there's a knock at your door and a sheriff stands there dangling a pair of handcuffs. Or you might be pulled over for a routine traffic stop and in no time find yourself cuffed, in the back of a squad car and heading on the way to jail.

How can you avoid this? Stay out of trouble, of course but there are some cases where you might not even know you're in trouble with Texas arrest warrants. And as any judge will tell you, ignorance is no excuse.

Types of warrants
There are two basic types of warrants applicable throughout Texas and the rest of the country. These are bench warrants versus arrest warrants. A bench warrant is issued by a particular judge who has deemed that you are in contempt of court by because you have failed some legal obligation. And yes, despite what you might have seen on television lawyer shows, you can still be held in contempt of court without ever even stepping inside a courtroom.

Perhaps you've let several parking tickets go without paying them. Or maybe you have failed to pay child support or alimony. Maybe you still owe some community service hours from a traffic ticket. If a judge is presented with evidence that you've been notified of these offenses through a certified letter and still haven't resolved them, then the judge will issue a bench warrant for your arrest.

Issued by a judge
A Texas arrest warrant is also issued by a judge but this is when you are suspected of a criminal offense. This type of arrest warrant often happens after a grand jury has indicted you on specific charges. Again, you might not be aware this is happening until the police show up to arrest you and by then it is too late.

Just because you have a Texas arrest warrant issued against you doesn't mean you don't have any rights as the accused. At any time you can do research and determine if you have an arrest warrant issued in your name. You can do this search through accredited companies, a qualified lawyer or by visiting the Texas courthouse in the district you think the warrant was issued from. You can even show up and ask your local police station. However, you need to be aware that with those in person visits you could technically be arrested on the spot if you have a warrant against you.

Identity theft
One other area of Texas arrest warrants to consider is if you have become a victim of identity theft. Someone could be posing as you, running up all kinds of debt and getting your name into trouble. A judge issuing an arrest warrant won't know the truth until the matter is brought before him. That's why it's a good reason to conduct occasional Texas arrest warrant searches. Hopefully, they'll come up empty but if not, you can take of the warrant quickly.