Florida Arrest Warrants

Tampa Arrest Warrant Attorney

If you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest in Tampa, Hillsborough County, or any of the surrounding counties in the Greater Tampa Bay area such as Pinellas County, Polk County, Pasco County, Hernando County, or Manatee County, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to find out what you need to do right now to protect yourself.

Do not just wait to be arrested on the warrant. For many individuals, taking a pro-active approach to addressing the warrant can help you resolve your case for the most favorable terms possible.

If the warrant was issued for a failure to appear (FTA warrant) or a violation of probation (VOP warrant), then find out whether an attorney can simply file a "motion to surrender" so that your attorney can request that the judge lower the bond or withdraw the FTA capius. Hiring an attorney to assist you early in the case may ultimately save you money, stress and embarrassment. Call 813-250-0500 to speak directly with an attorney about your case.

Many people find out about the warrant when a bail bond company in Tampa sends them a post card that says "Notice of Active Arrest Warrant" in the mail. You may qualify for a self arrest program that will take care of the warrant without the need to go through the normal process of being booked in the Orient Road Jail. Being proactive to surrender on the bond will also make sure that a SWAT team will not arrest you at your home or work to serve the warrant.

The Florida Constitution on Bond Issues

The Constitution of the State of Florida in Article I (Declaration of Rights), section 12 provides:

"No warrant shall be issued except upon probable cause, supported by affidavit, particularly describing.. the person or persons... to be seized...."

By contacting an experienced criminal defense attorney for your arrest warrant, you can find out what you need to do today to protect yourself and fight for the best resolution to the case. Our offices are located in downtown Tampa. We represent individuals with an outstanding warrant throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.

Ways to Resolve the Outstanding Warrant

If you have an outstanding arrest warrant, the worst thing you can do it avoid dealing with the issue. A law enforcement officer could discover the warrant during a routine traffic stop. Law enforcement officers may come to your home or work to arrest you on the warrant. The fact that you did not voluntarily surrender on the warrant is perhaps the most important factor the court will consider when determining the bond amount you must pay before being released from custody.

The best thing you can do if you have an outstanding warrant, is hire a Tampa attorney to fight the outstanding arrest warrant. The criminal defense attorney may be able to help you resolve the warrant without going into custody at all. Alternatively, the Tampa attorney may be able to negotiate your surrender on the arrest warrant so that you can be released immediately from custody to minimize the expense, stress, aggravation and embarrassment that goes along with resolving the Florida arrest warrant.

How We Can Help

When you contact our office about your outstanding bench or arrest warrant, our criminal defense attorneys can help you in the following ways:

1. Determine whether a warrant actually exists;
2. Determine whether a bond amount is attached to the warrant;
3. Determine whether the warrant is a "no bond" warrant that will not allow you to bond out of jail until after you see the judge;
4. Determine whether you should surrender yourself at the jail on the warrant or whether you should accompany your attorney to court on a "Motion to Surrender" so that you can have the best chance of avoiding going into custody;
5. Prepare law enforcement for your surrender so that they are forbidden from attempting to interrogate you about the criminal case;
6. Schedule an emergency bond motion so that your attorney can petition the court to lower the bond amount to a more reasonable amount given your financial circumstance, or ask the court to release you on a signature bond (release on own recognizance or ROR bond) that does not require you to post any money with a bail bondsman.
7. Defending you against the underlying charges so that you can effectively fight for the best possible results.

Types of Arrest Warrants in Tampa and the rest of Florida

The following types of arrest warrants exist in Florida:

1. Direct file arrest warrant with probable cause;
2. Arrest warrant taken out by an officer that investigated the charge alleging probable cause;
3. Bench warrant for failure to appear in court or pay a fine (also known as a capius);
4. Violation of probation warrant;
5. Warrant for failure to pay a fine.

Ways to Resolve an Outstanding Warrant

Possible Ways to Resolve an Outstanding Warrant for Your Arrest

1. Use a self arrest program that will take care of the warrant without the normal booking process at the jail, if available in your area.
2. Turn yourself in on the warrant and make arraignments for your attorney to represent you at the first appearance court which normally occurs the next morning at 8:00 a.m.
3. For a VOP or FTA warrant, appear in court with your attorney on a "motion to surrender" to ask the judge that will ultimately hear the case to withdraw the warrant or grant a ROR bond on the warrant so that you can be released the same day without posting bond.
4. Have your attorney file a motion to withdraw a warrant based on a failure to appear in court if it can be shown that the failure to appear was inadvertent or unintentional.

The Tampa Criminal Defense Attorneys are the Sammis Law Firm are experienced in helping our clients resolve an outstanding arrest warrant. Call 813-250-0500 to speak directly with a Tampa criminal defense lawyer about the best way to resolve your case.

For basis information about an arrest warrant, check the FDLE website to perform a search - Florida Arrest Warrant.

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Related Topics:

Florida D-6 Clearance - When you "fail to appear" or "fail to comply" with a court order to pay a fine or take a driver improvement course or other condition, the court can issue a D-6 suspension which will suspended your Florida driver's license. A capius for your arrest may also be issued. In order to clear the D-6 suspension so that your driver's license may be reinstated, a Tampa criminal defense attorney may be able to set another court date so that the clerk's office can immediately issue a D-6 Clearance. You must then deliver the D-6 clearance to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) so that your driver's license can be reinstated.

Florida Extradition Warrant - Find out more about fugitive warrants for extradition to or from the State of Florida. When a felony warrant is issued in Florida, the FCIC will include information about whether the State of Florida is willing to extradite the individual back to Florida if the individual is arrested on the warrant in another State. After that arrest, an attorney may be able to convince the judge to release the individual long enough so that the individual can voluntarily surrender in the jurisdiction that has the outstanding warrant. Find out how to avoid extradition to Florida, including Tampa, Hillsborough County, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Bartow, Polk County, Dade City and New Port Richey, Pasco County, Brooksville, Hernando County, Bradenton, Manatee County and Sarasota County, Florida.

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Arrest Warrant Links

Florida Law Enforcement Links for Arrest Warrants

Florida Arrest Warrant - Search the Florida Criminal Information Center (FCIC) Public Access System (PAS) for wanted individuals throughout all counties in Florida. The FCIC is maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The FCIC PAS website contains records from Florida law enforcement agencies that have been selected for public access by those agencies. No all active warrants will show up because they have not been entered into the FCIC database yet, or because the agency has not selected the arrest warrant for for public access.

The FCIC PAS database also contains information about stolen guns, stolen vehicles (including stolen vehicle parts and license plates), boats (including boat parts and decals), and other stolen articles. The FCIC database also contains a list of missing persons.

✓Florida Department of Corrections - Florida Department of Corrections list of most wanted absonders with outstanding arrest warrants. Website contains a list of Florida cold case violent felons who are wanted for escape from a Florida prison or work release center sometime over the last 30 years. The Florida Department of Corrections, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local law enforcement agencies are asking for information on each individual wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for absconding / fugitive from justice.

✓Florida Department of Law Enforcement - FDLE and DOC Launch “12 Days of Fugitives” Reward Offered for Information Leading to Capture of 12 Cold Case Violent Prison Escapees. Campaign also encourages the public to notify law enforcement about any person in Florida wanted on a felony or misdemeanor warrant for their arrest.

Hillsborough County Arrest Warrants

✓Hillsborough County Criminal Cases - For any failure to appear or violation of probation case on an underlying misdemeanor (not including misdemeanor traffic offenses) or felony charge, you can look at the docket for the case number to see if a warrant was issued. The Hillsborough County Clerk's Office in Tampa also keeps a copy of the arrest warrant on file which can be obtain as a public record. If a bond amount is attached to the warrant, you can usually tell this by looking at the docket or the warrants itself.

✓Hillsborough County Traffic Infractions - Tampa misdemeanor traffic offenses are contained in a separate database on the Clerk's Office website in Hillsborough County, FL. You can look up the records to see if a capius or D-6 suspension was issued by the judge in Tampa, Hillsborough County for a failure to appear or violation of probation case.

✓Hillsborough County Jail Inquiry - Find the arrest date, booking number, charge, and bond amount required for an inmate at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office jail for a current or old arrest record.

✓Hillsborough County Warrant Inquiry - Database of outstanding warrants maintained in by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Tampa that allows you to search for a warrant by the wanted person's name or warrant number. Website also contains information on extradition cases, and fugitives from other jurisdictions wanted in Hillsborough County, FL.

Pinellas County Arrest Warrants - Search the public records for outstanding bench warrants, arrest warrants, failure to appear warrants, and the capius for arrest issued for Clearwater or St. Petersburg criminal felony, misdemeanor and traffic case in Pinellas County, FL.

✓Pinellas County Criminal Cases and Traffic Infractions

✓Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Jail and Warrant Inquiry

Pasco County Arrest Warrants - Search the public records with the Sheriff's Office and Clerk's Office for an outstanding bench warrant, arrest warrant, fugitive warrant, or capius issued in a Felony, Misdemeanor, or Traffic case in Dade City or New Port Richey, Pasco County, FL.

✓Pasco County Criminal Misdemeanor and Felony Cases

✓Pasco County Traffic Infractions

Polk County Arrest Warrants - Find out more about an extradition warrant, fugitive warrant, bench warrant, arrest warrant, or capius issued in any criminal case in Bartow, Polk County, FL.

✓Polk Criminal Misdemeanor and Felony Cases

✓Polk County Jail and Warrant Inquiry

Manatee County Criminal Warrants - Records maintained by the clerk of court for Manatee County in Bradenton and the Manatee County Sheriff's Office can help you located a felony or misdemeanor bench or arrest warrant.

✓Manatee Criminal Felony and Misdemeanor Dockets

✓Manatee Arrest and Warrant Inquiry

Sarasota County Criminal Bench and Arrest Warrants - perform an online search of the clerk's records for any felony or misdemeanor warrant for arrest in Sarasota County, FL.

✓Sarasota Misdemeanor and Felony Criminal Records

✓Sarasota Traffic Infraction

Hernando County Outstanding Warrant for Arrest - Find information about an arrest warrant, extradition warrant, bench warrant, or capius issued in Brooksville, Hernando County, FL.

✓Hernando County Misdemeanor and Felony Criminal Cases

✓Hernando County Traffic Infractions

✓Hernando County Sheriff's Office Arrest Warrants

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